Substance of Magic
by mustangforfuhrer
Summary: Allen is discovered by Dumbledore who recognises his potential role in the battle against the forces of evil and therefore takes him under his wing. Voldemort and the Earl have formed a pact. Exorcists and wizards must combine powers to bright light back into the darkened world. No pairings yet Set in 2nd book
1. Chapter 1

The rain drummed down from the grey sky onto the grey cobble stones (apathetically?) soaking both the young white haired boy clutching an infant swaddled in blankets to protect it from the cold and the semi-circle of thugs surrounding them. The most heavily tattooed of the gang stepped forward and pointed at the crouched boy- his gesture made more menacing by the bicycle chain wrapped around his knuckles

"Pay up!" He snarled silently congratulating himself at the impressive figure he struck- those weeks at the gym had been worth it. He clenched his fist tighter to flex his biceps slightly more 'this freak must be terrified of me' he thought, quietly proud of his ability to deal with the kid. The others had been frightened. Something about the kid being devil's spawns. Hah! As if that would scare him! The kid didn't look like anything special. Sure his hair was freaky but anyone with a little bleach could do that.

Allen cursed his foolishness for the thousandth time, you would have thought that after all he had gone through he would know better than to trust people. Keeping his head bowed to prevent them from seeing his scar and to sate their ego he said

"I fully paid both our passages in Japan. I owe you nothing"

Normally he would have taken his chances. With his arm and his agility, there was a fair chance that he could have defeated them but he had Mai with him and he couldn't risk her being hurt.

"Sure ya paid for the passage but what about protection, freak? Two kids alone on the streets- who knows what could happen. Pay us and you've nothing to fear. Don't pay... you get my meaning yes?"

Allen tightened his grip on Mai, furiously calculating his escape route. Mai stirred and Allen's heart skipped a beat as she woke from her sleep to find she was cold, wet and surrounded by the very embodiments of every child's worst nightmare. Fear filled her eyes and she started to cry.

"Shut that thing up!" the leader roared kicking out at the boy.

Allen leapt backwards, his head snapping up

"Don't you touch her" her snarled.

The thug let out a yell as he caught a glimpse of the blood red scar that ran the length of the boys face and he instinctively flicked his wrist out, sending the rusted chain flying towards the boy and infant

Time seemed to slow down as the chain curved its way towards the boy. He immediately twisted his body around shielding the wailing infant with his back, clutching her close to him, wrapping his arms around her small body

He let out a yell of pain as the chain laid open his back and sent him flying to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes and forced himself to his knees. He thrust the child- now frightened to silence- into a gap between the rubbish bags piled up in the alleyway. He rolled himself back to his feet and staggered away from the hiding place, trying to put as much distance as possible between it and him. He reached out with his mind to his innocence.

"Innocence!" He yelled but before he could complete the connection, one of the thugs punched him hard in the gut and the sudden lack of oxygen drove every coherent thought out of his head. Before he could gather up his scattered wits, the rest of the gang plucked up the courage to join in their favourite game of 'beat up the helpless innocent'. The initial wave of overwhelming pain faded off as they continued the beating and Allen's mind re-booted, just as he was about to connect to his innocence again, he saw something which once again drove all coherent thoughts from his head. Mai had picked herself up from her hiding place and was toddling towards the monstrous trolls that were making her adopted papa cry with pain. Her eyes were alights with steely determination as she launched herself at the leader

"LEAVE MY PAPA ALONE!" she yelled, grabbing a handful of the man's trousers and tugging as hard as she could. Now here is a little side-note to all those who wear hipster jeans to look cool- combine low slung jeans with the weight of a three year old child and, well, let's just say any coolness factor given to you by the jeans is very suddenly revoked. Mai fell to the ground, confused, her hand still clutching a handful of the monsters jeans. Bicycle chain man all of a sudden found himself standing comically with his trousers around his ankles and the centre of amusement for the rest of the gang. His eyes narrowed in fury as he looked down at the cause of his humiliation and he raised his hand then snapped it down, sending the bicycle chain flying towards the little girl at an astonishing speed

Allen saw what happened from his vantage point on the ground. As soon as the thug raised his hand, he knew what was about to happen. Despair and fear filled every essence of his being. He couldn't make it in time. He reached out his arm in a useless attempt to reach her

"NO! MAAAII!"


	2. Chapter 2

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair frowning slightly at the readings on the screen in front of him, tuning in and out of the ramblings of the ministry goon who hadn't stopped for a breath from the second he had entered the room

"...and then it spikes again here, here... makes no sense... wavelength varies from the usual. See here is the usual magic wave and this is the new one... tried triangulating... possibly here or there..."

Dumbledore sighed slightly. This was so tiresome. He needed to be at the school, Harry was bound to do something stupid anytime soon and he had to make sure that Snape was handling Quirrell. This was no time to be stuck in an office because of a machine malfunction which was the only logical explanation for these readings. A magic wavelength that wasn't a magic wavelength? That only appeared at odd times? That was coupled with a new presence of magic? Impossible. The machine he was watching was the ministry's means of tracking all wizards beneath the age of the Trace. It sensed the presence of known Magic, showing it as a red dot on the screen. When Magic was activated, a green dot appeared. This was how muggle born wizards were found and was how underage magicians were watched to ensure they didn't use magic out of school. Each magic wavelength was slightly different which meant that the machine could only track a magician after said magician has performed magic in some way allowing the machine a sufficient reading to store and remember that particular wavelength.

The machine however was now very confused. It had been sending out nonsensical readings for three days now, leaving the ministry goons completely bamboozled forcing them to send for Dumbledore. The man in question was leaning forward in his chair, hooked nose almost touching the screen. He muttered a few spells under his breath which ran through the system checking it for errors, but each spell returned with nothing to report. Dumbledore frowned slightly, his brain immediately calculating out new theories. He muttered a few more spells to follow the wavelength and figure out the location of this new anomaly but as the ministry man had said, the wavelength was too weak. All of a sudden however, alarms went off. The dot which they had coloured- after some deliberation- amber, pulsed green. The machines went wild, rattling out wavelengths at an astonishing rate on knots. The ministry goon looked about ready to take a heart attack

"This is impossible! He spluttered the readings are through the roof; this magic is way too powerful to be from a child. We must have an illegal wizard presence on British soil! This could mean war! Dumble..." He looked up but the chair was empty

**A/N- this chapter probably requires and explanation right? OK, so for those who are interested, here goes**

**Innocence is a form of magic in a way- it is a magical substance, a bit like the philosophers stone (no, Ed, not THAT philosophers stone...) hence the wonky wavelength. More will be revealed later on! I do have it mostly sorted out in my head, but it needs a little fine-tuning and I like to keep you all in suspense!**

**OK, more complex description of the machine, What it does-in more depth- is track the presence of magic. This is how wizards are tracked. When a new young wizard uses magic for something, the machine picks up the magic wavelength and triangulates it. The goons then get details to figure out if the person is muggle born or whatever, their age, address etc. This ps is the way the letters are always so accurately addressed. Once the witch/wizard has been picked up by the machine, their wavelength is better recognised and the machine can then track and subsequent use of magic can be traced. **

**As Allens Innocence is a magic substance but not magic itself, the machine got confuddled. Poor thing.**

**Anywaaaaaays, hope you enjoyed, sorry bout the shpeel. Any (nice) reviews are more than welcome- this is my first ever fanfic- so... HELP!**


	3. Chapter 3

**:O I cannot _believe_ that people have started to like this already! I 3 you guys ^^**

**BlizzardNight- I will do my utmost to keep this up- I have a fairly bad track record for leaving things half done, but I don't think I could do that with this even if I wanted too- It keeps writing itself in my head :P bloody annoying! (thx so much for the encouragement)**

**Griffencub- ta muchly! hope you enjoy...**

**NecronWarrior- I know *ashamed face* but clichés are sooo fuuuun :( **

**Claudia Dionzeros- TADA! Just for you!**

Dumbledore's mind was calculating furiously even as he disapparated to follow the sudden lock he had got on the position of the magic. There was a possibility, he supposed that this was a wizard who had illegally arrived in Britain but that explanation seemed unlikely. He arrived in a filthy street, rain drummed down making the place, if possible more sinister. He was about to send out a locating spell to pinpoint the exact position of the wavelength when a child's sobbing reached his ears. He immediately ran after the noise. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw as he rounded the corner of one of the alleyways. A young boy with white hair lay unconscious in a pool of blood, A Japanese infant kneeling next to him crying inconsolably

"Wake up Papa! I'm scared. Wake up!"

The most shocking thing however was the alley way. It looked like an explosion had taken place. The paving stones were bone dry in a huge radius around the boy. Scorch marks patterned the walls and most surprising of all, slumped around the boy at the edges of the blast marks were seven huge, muscled and unconscious thugs

Dumbledore smirked slightly as he made his way towards the strange scene. That's the thing about this bizarre world, he thought to himself. Just when you think you have seen all there is to see, it proves you wrong in the most spectacular way possible.

**A/N I know! Sorry it's so tiny... just wait a sec, the next one is flipping HUGE :p hope you liked... review... sorry bout any clichéd expressions necron :P**

**P.S, I hope I spelt disapparated properly**

**Oh, I should probably add here as a little extra info to those who care, The worldwide wizarding society is very private and secret (as is said in the 4th book) So if a wizard was to appear from another country and perform powerful magic on Brittish soil... well it wouldn't be good**


	4. Chapter 4

Harry watched as Dumbledore walked away, still unsatisfied with the explanation he had been given by the man. He sighed in frustration and glanced around the ward- he hated hospitals, sitting still for long periods of time were just _not_ his idea of fun. His eyes passed over the bed opposite him and he was slightly surprised to see the curtains drawn around it. Curiosity peaked he sat up, wincing as he did so. Who else would be in the hospital wing at such a late stage of the year? He tried in vain to peer through the crack where the curtains met. He gave up after almost falling out of his bed in an attempt to get at an angle where he could see through the crack and resigned himself to waiting till the nurse came to treat the patient. Whoever it was. He slumped back on his pillows with a sigh of irritation. He HATED hospitals. Suddenly, there was a noise that made him bolt upright in shock, and then grit his teeth and double over as his body protested- loudly- to the sudden movement.

A child was crying from behind the curtains. There was no mistaking that noise- it was definitely a young child. Harry's eyes widened further as her heard another voice. A shadow raised itself on the curtain as the bed's occupant sat up. He heard the sleepy voice of a young boy comfort the child

"Hush, Mai, you're OK, you're safe here"

He heard a rustle of blankets as the child was lifted up out of its cot and he continued to listen in utter shock as the boy behind the curtain comforted the young child. What on earth was a child doing here? In Hogwarts? And who on earth was this boy? Curiosity overflowing, Harry strained once again to try and get a glimpse of the beds occupants through the curtains. He suddenly righted himself as the gap of the curtains that he had been watching suddenly opened. Harry could barely believe what he saw. A young boy stood at the edge of the bed, his entire upper body swaddled in bandages. He cradled a sobbing toddler to his chest singing a foreign lullaby gently to her

"_soshite bouya_ wa _nemuri ni tsuita_"

The most shocking thing about the boy however was his pure white hair and the giant scar that rand the length of his face, ending at his chin and disappearing up through his messy hair. The boy looked up and seemed surprised to have an audience. He smiled gentle

"Sorry if we disturbed you" he said sheepishly, bowing slightly

Harry shook his head

"Don't worry about it" He said easily "I was bored out of my skull anyways, needed a good distraction. I hate hospitals" He smiled up at the strange boy. Any time a year ago and perhaps this would have thrown him but recent events in his life had more or less taken away his ability to be shocked into silence.

The white haired boy chuckled quietly

"Yea, I hate them too. I don't like sitting still for so long doing nothing. Seems like a colossal waste of time if you ask me" he made his way over to the bed and sat down at the foot of it, still gently rocking the young girl who's wails had quietened though she still snuffled every now and again

"Sing, Papa" she commanded sleepily. The boy looked down at her lovingly and began to softly sing again. He glanced up at me, his grey eyes smiling, and he paused in his singing

"Sorry about this, she had a nightmare" He immediately picked up the song again, rocking the young girl in his arms

"Don't worry about it" Harry replied. Then unable to contain his curiosity- "Papa?" He asked. The boy smiled at him again and stroked the little girls head.

"Yea" he said pausing in his singing again, keeping his voice quiet and soft so you could barely tell the difference between him singing and speaking "I have been caring for Mai practically from the day she was born, I am the closest thing to a dad that she has. She began to call me it as soon as she could talk. I never stopped her" he picked up the song again, not missing a beat

Harry looked over at him, shocked at how easily he had handed over this piece of personal information

"What happened to her real parents?" he asked. Then added quickly "It's OK if you don't want to say you know"

The boy looked up from the now slumbering child.

"It's OK" he said. He stroked her check with his little finger, a look of tenderness on his face. He seemed to consider his words carefully before he looked up at Harry, measuring his reaction to what he said "There was an earthquake at her home town. She was just newly born at that time. Her parents- for whatever reason- hadn't gotten her out of the house in time. It collapsed. Later, when going through the rubble, they found her, sleeping peacefully with a lump of concrete suspended impossibly above her. They threw her out onto the street, said she was possessed by a demon and left her there"

The boys face became shadowed and melancholy "When I found her, she was only just clinging onto life. I took her away from that place and never looked back" He gave me a rather calculating look "You don't seem bothered by the idea that she used magic"

Harry gave a wry chuckle "well you see..."

**A/N OK little bit of an explanation needed here I guess. I know everyone hates OC's but I never meant to write this down properly and she just seemed to fit into this story. I DO HAVE REASONS! I removed Cross Marion from this story, and I felt like Allen needed someone to keep his sanity after Mana's death- Mai was his reason to keep walking (sorryforbeingsochilchednecron!). She isn't really a key character though. At least, not yet **

**Oh and btw, I am a lazy bum, see that ellipsis at the end... yea, that's Harry explaining the wonders of magic and hogwarts to Allen. I. Am. NOT. Writing all that in. Use your imagination :P**


	5. Chapter 5

**NecronWarrier- I promise on chocolate truffles that I will not make Mai a Mary Sue... and yeah I won't deny I am considering it *ashamedface* though I must say I also like AllenxLuna But NO! Not getting into that yet, they are too young!**

**Claudia Dionzeros- Well, I hadn't planned on introducing them till maybe forth year, because Allen didn't meet them till he was 15 after all, but tell me what you think ^^ I am not adverse to changes :)**

**Kureru- TADA! Especially for you :P And I know right! Allen is a great papa... Promise to keep Mai a minor character though, I too share a hate for OC's, but you will see her importance soon- ooh look at me being all mysterious! :P**

Dumbledore marched purposely towards the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey had informed him a few hours ago that the boy had woken. He would have got down strait away if it hadn't been for the bumbling buffoons that called themselves 'Ministry Officials' Dumbledore developed an eye twitch just thinking about the mountains of paper work he had been forced to fill in about the incident and that was before they had even interviewed the boy to figure out who he was and why he was here!. Dumbledore gave an irritated sigh as he made his way up the corridor. The poor boy would probably be in a right state, having woken up in a strange place with no idea of how he got there or who had taken him there. He pushed open the ward doors and froze in the doorway, his mouth comically ajar.

The young boy in question was sitting cross legged at the bottom of _Harry Potter's_ _bed_ surrounded by a sea of brightly coloured wrapping papers both Harry and the boy were hysterically laughing as they took turns at throwing Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans into each other's mouths. In the middle of the bed, the little Japanese girl slumbered soundly, oblivious to the noise around her. Both boys were completely unaware of the elderly man's presence as Allen practically threw up the sweet Harry had managed to- eventually- throw into his mouth. He turned bright red and grabbed his throat dramatically with both hands, steam practically billowing out of his ears 'chilli!' he gasped as tears streamed down his bright red face. Harry bent over double at the waist laughing so hard tears began to stream down his face too- "you know the rules Allen!" he chocked out between his out-of-control laughter "you've got to swallow it!" Allen let out a moan of pain and clamped both his hands over his mouth, gulping the sweet down. He let out a victory cry, punching the air with joy "YATA!"(1) he cried. He glanced over to the door and immediately dropped his arms to his sides again and looking slightly sheepish he jumped up from the bed, bowing slightly at the waist "I am so sorry sir!" he said with an apologetic look "I didn't see you there... correct me if I am wrong, but are you by any chance Professor Dumbledore?"

**Erm, roughly translates to YAY! I DID IT! :P**

**ps, he knew Dumbledore's name coz Harry told him, He was unconscious when he was taken to the hospital...**

**pps soz for any errors- I have already found one in one of the previous chapters- off to fix that now. Feel free to yell at me if you see any :)**

**ppps Allen and Mai speak English and Japanese. They will mostly stick to English however I will chuck in a few Japanese words every now again, purely because I am so proud of myself for knowing some**


	6. Chapter 6

**Claudia Dionzers- I think I'll stick with him **_**meeting **_**them in the fourth book- I may need to do some stuff from the orders POV to explain stuff- We shall see :P P.S, your opinion means a lot to me... after all, you lot are my readers- there'd be little point in me publishing my work on here if I wasn't going to listen to what you guys wanted!**

**BlizzardNight- 3 3 glad you liked it ^^**

**Kureru- Yea, that was really fun to write :D unfortunately I wont be able to have them together again till after the 'summer holidays' (In the story- not real life) but I promise! As soon as I get all my silly plot-line explanation out of the way, I will publish at least one chapter purely dedicated to Harry and Allen foolishness :D **

**P.S, apologies to all for the teenyness of my chapters so far- I have for some bizarre and unknown reason been updating a paragraph at a time so here is a proper chapter. Enjoy!**

There had been very few moments in Professor Dumbledore's long life in which he had been speechless and yet for the second time in 24 hours, he found himself at a loss for words. Here in front of him were two boys who had just gone through more pain and sorrow in the past day than most adults had ever gone through in a lifetime and yet, here they were laughing and playing as if all the horrors they had seen had been nothing more than bad dreams that soon dissolved into nothingness once woken from. Children's ability of recovery never ceased to amaze him- somehow even in the most dire of situations, that childishness, that innocence remained- untainted by the cynicism that the old so often suffer from. He realised then that he had not answered the boy yet and both he and Harry were giving the old man strange looks, Dumbledore chuckled lightly again, allowing the sparkle to return to his eyes.

"I am indeed him, young child, though it seems as if I am at a disadvantage here for you know my name but I do not know yours" He raised an eyebrow slightly at the boy who was still bent at the waist "oh and there is no need to bow to me, young child. I am nobody special" his eyes shone with silent mirth as the boy straitened up. "aha, sorry about that sir!" he said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head "My name is Allen Walker, and this here is Mai." the boy's grey eyes met the headmasters bright blue ones and the headmaster could see the intelligence behind them , along with the guarded calculating look that came from those who had been hurt once too often. "It's nice to meet you Allen. I need you to come with me now though- if you feel up to it- there are some questions we need answered" the boy's eyes narrowed slightly and became significantly more guarded "and by 'we' you mean...who exactly?" Dumbledore sighed slightly. This was going to be problematic.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore looked sideways at the young boy as he walked beside him, the young child- Mai- cradled in his arms. He had adamantly refused to leave her behind in the hospital wing and after debating it out, Dumbledore had caved- being unable to come up with any soundly logical reason for leaving the child behind<p>

'_The questioning will take a long time Allen, what if she wakes up because of the noise?"_

"_Harry and I have been making enough noise to wake a statue and she is still asleep"_

"_What if she becomes hungry then?"_

"_Then I will remove myself from the room and feed her of course- If I left her here and she woke up hungry, she wouldn't stop screaming till I came anyway. She doesn't take kindly to strangers"_

"_Questioning rooms are no place for a child"_

"_**I**__ am a child, professor Dumbledore"_

This final remark had effectively shut the professor up. To be honest, he was glad he had been able to convince the boy to come along at all; he had not seemed too keen on the idea. He watched curiously as the young boy gazed around the huge and almost rudely magic school, his face remained expressionless but Dumbledore could tell from his wide eyes that he was affected more than he let on

"You seem very comfortable with all this magic stuff" Dumbledore said casually as they headed up another set of moving stairs "I take it you were raised around magic then?"

Allen didn't look over at the headmaster, too preoccupied by the painting of goblins gambling around a table, all arguing loudly. He leaned close to the picture as the grey goblin in the corner won again "Do you guys know he has a set of cards hidden up his sleeve, right?"(**1)** He said innocently, smirking slightly as the goblin disappeared beneath his rather disgruntled fellow gamblers. He raised his eyes to meet Dumbledore's, his face slightly wary but he seemed to decide that there was no hidden agenda behind the question "No, I didn't grow up around magic, I have however come across many inexplicable things in my life so the existence of magic wasn't a complete shock for me. Plus I have been cross examining Harry and he explained everything" He said simply. Dumbledore smiled slightly again, that childish acceptance again with the odd mixture of adult logic and intelligence. This boy was going to be most interesting.

The room that the ministry had commandeered from the school had been stripped of all furniture except a single wooden chair. All around the room, machines had been set up, screens blank and menacing. The main ministry official stepped forward- frowning as he noticed the child in the boys arm."She isn't allowed in here" He said firmly

Allen raised one eyebrow "I won't say anything unless she is allowed to stay" he said coolly, all traced of the childish, carefree boy now gone to be replaced by a poker-face that any professional gambler would be proud of.**(1)**

The ministry official seemed at a loss for what to say and began to splutter quite eloquently in indignation "The Foreign Wizard Policy of 1987 states quite clearly in article 6, heading 23, subsection 43 that in the case of..." Dumbledore smoothly interrupted the man "Why what an excellent idea" _ahh... what on earth was this one's name again? They all looked the sam_e... "er, Fredrick! Er, Allen, as Fredrick was about to say, the Foreign Wizard Policy gives ministry officials the right to question a highly suspicious person alone, but as he was about to say, you are not highly suspicious, so we will allow this to pass. In return however, we will require you to answer all the questions as fully and clearly as you can"

'Fredrick' gaped rather vacantly for a few minutes as he tried to process what had just happened. Once his brain had caught up, he cleared his throat impressively and nodded in conformation

"Indeed, ah, precisely what I was about to say... young man, these machines here are to record heart rate etcetera. We will know therefore if you lie at all in your statement. If you do so, we will be forced to submit you to questioning under Veritaserum. Now, I am sure that you will give us no reason to do so. We proceed in good faith therefore that you will answer all our queries clearly and fully and... erm... yes. Indeed" he coughed again and marched over to the screens, tapping them with his wand. The screens all at once burst into life and lines danced up and down along with the rhythm of Allen's heart. "Now boy, explain to us how exactly you received that curse mark, what happened to your arm and what brought you here to England?"

Allen gulped slightly. He glanced up at Dumbledore '_I dearly hope I am not making a mistake again, trusting someone. He saved my life... and Harry trusts him completely. Plus there is something about him. All my instincts are telling me that he is dependable.' _ He turned to face the interrogator and tried not to look at the machine behind him that had started to dance more violently as the boy's heart cried out for him to turn around and not stop running till this castle was a mere speck in the horizon '_here goes nothing'_

**There! That was better right! I know I said I was going to try to pace myself in chapter uploading... but... well, the last chapter didn't really count it was that small and I felt guilty and the next chapter will probably take me longer to do coz it is plot-line necessary... so yea :D**

**(1)- Yes, Allen is a professional gambler in this too- that was how he managed to feed his own... interesting? appetite and keep Mai happy and healthy without resorting to full blown thievery**

**reviewreviewreview!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope your all prepared for a little plot development! Here is where you see why I needed Mai in the story. I guess her character is similar to Komui's in Man- she is critical to the character but not a critical character in herself (Sorry Necronwarrior- Unless I can find a way to somehow tie her in. I have no ideas yet but we shall see- she may indeed become useful again at some point in the future, in which case, yes, you totally called it :P)**

**Kureru- Thank you!I am quite fond of my brain myself. Don't know were I'd be without it ^^**

**Claudia Dionzeros- They will do as any good government does when presented with information critical to their countries well-being and safety. They will stick their fingers in their ears, screw up their eyes and pretend it's not there.**

Allen took a deep breath

"I am afraid there is very little I can tell you about how my arm came to be the way it is. It had been like this as long as I can remember and unfortunately I never knew my parents so I can't tell you if I was born like this or not. In fact, I don't really know much at all about my childhood, my earliest memories are of living on the streets, alone" He shifted slightly in his seat and licked his lips glancing nervously up at Dumbledore again before continuing "Then I met Mana. He was a clown at a travelling circus and he took me in. Taught me... how to deal with life, with people. I was a bit of a wreck to be honest when he found me" A small smile graced the boys face as he reminisced "I was angry at the world, full of bitterness and resentment for the lot life had dealt me. Mana showed me happiness, security" he gave a dry chuckle "He even knocked some manners into me. We travelled together, going from circus to circus, country to country. We had no home, but we needed no home. We were... happy, content to be with each other, the surroundings seemed... immaterial somehow. Mana became my family, I took on his last name, viewed him as a father and I think... I hope he viewed me as a son too. We were together for a few marvellous years"

The smile faded from the boys face and Dumbledore's heart sank, he knew that look- that expression- he didn't need the boy to continue the story to know what happened "He died" Allen said bluntly, with no preamble, no explanation. He bowed his head and continued his story; eyes shut tight "I don't know how. Why. All I know is he left me. They buried him- the circus people- and left. I stayed. Stayed with him. Didn't know how to be without him" Allen shook his head and let out a low, bitter laugh, tilting his head back, opening his eyes, staring up at the ceiling, in an attempt to ward of tears "I should have kept walking" he muttered, almost to himself "If I had listened to him and kept walking..." he trailed off and gave a small sigh. "How long I sat there I don't know. A man appeared to me. At least I think it was a man. He told me... told me I could have Mana back. Could be reunited with my dad, could regain the life I had lost" he snorted and shook his head "I believed him- stupid naive child that I was. He brought out this metal skeleton, sat it in front of me, told me all I needed to do was to call out for my Mana with my heart and soul and we would be reunited"

There was a pause and Dumbledore glanced over at the boy, almost fearful for what would come next "I called him" came the strained whisper- barely audible and Dumbledore sighed tucking his chin into his chest. Of course he had. Who wouldn't? The boy continued his story, his voice becoming stronger and faster, as if he was frightened to slow down unless he stopped altogether "There was a flash, the statue came to life, Mana's name inscribed on its forehead. It woke, moved, I thought, thought he had returned to me, that we would be together again. I didn't care that he was a metal skeleton; we would deal with that somehow all that mattered to me was that he was there to tell me what to do again, to tell me to sit up straight at the table, that children should be seen and not heard. To wrap me up against the cold and give me that sense of security again, to sing to me just one last time" an almost ecstatic look had come over the boys face as he remembered the hope he had felt- Dumbledore had a sudden urge to cry out. To stop the inevitable 'but' that was about to come. To leave the story unfinished, with the hope and joy rather than carry on to the inescapable crash, the unavoidable disappointment and terribly painful truth. The dead didn't come back. Never. Not even ghosts were a true return to earth and loved ones were always to be disappointed.

"He cried out in pain." his voice faltered slightly here "it was wrong. All wrong. He cried out to me, furious that I had brought him back, that I had so selfishly reclaimed him from God. He... He cursed me, slashed my face with his arm. And then" He seemed to almost loose the will to go on here, tears spilled over and ran down his cheeks "He was ordered to kill me, to wear my skin as his own, but before he could, my cursed arm... it... it changed. Became big, moved on its own and it... it killed him. I killed him. Killed the only man who..." He broke himself off here and fell silent, struggling to regain his composition.

Dumbledore raised his head sharply- up until this point he had expected the boy to carry on and say that it had all been a trick, a farce, some cruel joke or twisted game played on an innocent child- but no- there was no mistaking it, _this man's soul had been returned to earth_. Impossible his mind immediately said but no- that was the only logical explanation, the fact that the return had been horrible, twisted and painful only served to confirm this theory. If the statue had seemed loving and free when it had awoken, he would have been suspicious but the pain it had felt, the anger and it's link to the one who had built it's body... it's need to kill...this could be the missing link, the answer to all his questions, he had never considered it up until now, but perhaps that long tabooed and feared branch of magic had returned. Dumbledore shivered, this was not good. Not good at all. But how had the boy destroyed it? What was the secret behind that arm?**(1)**

He glanced up at the interrogator. The man was white as a sheet, staring at the boy as if he had grown two heads and began spouting mermish. Behind him, his assistant ran check after check on the machine, unwilling to accept that the terrible tale we were hearing was true

"My hair turned white after that" the boy's voice was low and flat again "from that day on, I have born this scar as a punishment for my sin. As for what happened to me after that, I'm afraid I can tell you very little indeed. In fact I have no memories at all of what happened between that incident and when I found Mai here, alone and abandoned in a Japanese village. I had been walking on a sort of auto pilot till then I guess, body still functioning but my mind had shut down. She woke me again, somehow. Just holding her in my arms was enough to slowly banish the numbness that had engulfed me. Suddenly I had someone who needed me, I couldn't continue on the way I was going any more- uncaring as to whether I lived or not because although I had every right to be as careless as I wished with my life, I couldn't treat her in the same careless way. As soon as I lifted her up, I chose to be responsible for her. I suppose it was at that stage that I stopped walking for the dead and began walking for the living" he said, once again seeming to be speaking to himself as much as us. He wiped the tears off his face and took a deep breath. "After I regained some form of consciousness, I began to look for answers myself, and I believe I can explain a little of what happened to me"

**Hint hint hint hint :D**

**More Explanation in the next chapter which I will aim to upload... say... Saturday?**

**P.S, Kureru, I revoke what I previously said- there will be some more Harry and Allen hilarity before the fictional summer hollidays. I'm in the mood for a foolish chapter after so much seriousness. You're welcome!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Necronwarrior- It'd be no fun if I told you would it? :D**

**Kureru- Sorry 'bout that! I'm really glad you are enjoying this story- your comments always make me fell all warm and fuzzy inside ^^ Yea, by my reckoning, not the next chapter but the one after that will be packed with funnyness. I'm really looking forward to writing something a bit lighter- all this plot development is exhausting!**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Depends on how you define 'Exorcist Madness I guess...' We shall see :)**

Dumbledore peered at the young anomaly over the brim of his cup of tea, he had demanded- despite his overwhelming curiosity- to call for a much needed break before continuing with the questioning. He was concerned about the child, although magic had helped reconnect the severed muscle and skin, the body was still under a significant amount of stress as all the neurons and dendrites reconnected and healed. Plus the boy was so thin he looked like he hadn't had a good meal in ages- at least that was what Dumbledore had assumed- however as he watched the ungodly amount of food that the boy was consuming, he began to revise his theory (he was beginning to wonder if his mind wasn't beginning to go, the number of flawed conclusions he had been drawing up recently) He idly watched as delighted packs of house elves darted back and forward across the room bearing either plates towered high with a marvellous variety of foods or stacks of plates scraped clean by the young teen who was now sitting cross legged on his chair, all traces of previous distress gone as he quite cheerily gorged himself on the seemingly endless amounts of food being supplied to him. Mai, obviously quite used to such displays was happily playing with one of the discarded plates, tipping it up on its edge, then letting it wobble round faster and faster till it clattered to the ground, then repeating the action again and again gaining inexplicable joy from the sound it made as it ran round and round its rim. Dumbledore returned his attention back to the boy who was still steamrollering his way through the piles of food before him with no sign of slowing down. He silently pondered this new piece of information as he unwrapped a humbug and popped it into his mouth, delighting in its sweet mintyness. Perhaps this cursed scar or arm of his somehow affected his appetite, he wondered how, why- new ideas and theories and experiments flooding into his head uncontrollably before he very firmly squashed them.**(1)** No, he reminded himself firmly- he had learnt his lesson a long time ago; there were some times in life when you just had to wait it out. Running blind into something brandishing a scalpel rarely solved or helped anything and in fact, once everything was dismantled and torn apart you soon realised that the knowledge you gained was completely overshadowed by the destruction you had reaped and then you realised that had you just let things be, you would have not only learnt more but would also have allowed the thing you were observing to continue on and become more brilliant than it was when your observations first began. It was like finding a beautiful and unique flower, and dissecting it, finding out why it was, what it was, how it was only to then discover that not only was it only a seedling but it was also the last of its kind. He shook himself from his philosophising, Allen had finally finished eating- Dumbledore glanced fleetingly at his watch and then hurriedly checked it again- _2 hours!_ - He shook his head in disbelief; this boy's appetite was _amazing_

Allen- completely unaware of the shock he had caused- pulled Mai onto his knee and began to feed her forkfuls of shepherd's pie, with small pieces of carrot cunningly concealed under the thick layer of potato, transforming the forkful of food into animals and methods of transport at Mai's whim. Unfortunately, about two thirds of the way through the dish, little Mai became dubious about the lack of 'healthy _things_' in the dish and scrutinised the 'train' too closely, quickly discovering the offending vegetable poking its brightly coloured edge out of the potato at which point she quite stubbornly refused to open her mouth, ignoring the attempts of the 'traitor' to sweet-talk her into finishing the meal. "C'mon Mai! just three more forkfuls and you can have your pear and raspberry crumble... you'll hardly taste them, I promise!" Allen wheedled with little success. Dumbledore glanced up from the _Daily Prophet _that he had summoned from his office after realising that this break was going to drag on for a good few more minutes wondering how exactly the young boy would cope in this situation- he had been raising the child for some time now, but he was still young...

"Mai, I am not joking, if you don't open up, you'll get no dessert... I'm not going to move till you eat it" Mai however firmly pressed her lips together and shook her head. Allen let out a frustrated sigh "_**Mai Walker, you open up your mouth **__right __**now or so help me, I will ban you from playing with Timcanpy for a whole week!" **_Allen said, his voice low and calm but full of authority- Dumbledore barely managed to stop himself from all out laughing as the two Ministry goons- who had been pouring over the machine figures- jumped at the sound of the authoritative voice, then flushed as they realised who it had come from. Little Mai seemed similarly effected and she obediently opened her mouth to receive the rest of her meal

"There" Allen said gently, putting a hand on her head. "That wasn't so hard was it" The little girls bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes filled up with tears. Allen let out a gentle sigh and hugged the child to his chest. "I'm sorry for frightening you Mai, but you need to learn..." he proceeded to give the girl a little lecture on how important vegetables were and how he loved her and wanted her to be healthy, Dumbledore continued to watch them, completely fascinated- this Mana must've been a brilliant parent he thought suddenly as he watched Allen wipe away the little girls tears and begin to feed her the crumble- To have taken a rough street child, full of bitterness and replace it with this kind, responsible boy within the space of just a few years.

Allen all of a sudden let out a gasp which cased every adult in the room to spring to attention

"_TIMCANPY!" _he cried, suddenly spinning round in his chair, frantically scanning the room for... what exactly? "I can't believe I didn't notice- he wasn't- of course he must still be- he is going to KILL ME!"

"Err" interrupted a rather bemused Dumbledore "Who exactly are you talking about?"

"It's not a who, it's a what... ah he is going to eat me alive when he gets here" Allen fretted, being frustratingly obtuse

"Will you _please_ tell us what on earth you are on about!" Dumbledore said exasperatedly

"Ah- yes- well, you see, I have a... pet?" He seemed unsure of his word choice "I don't suppose you saw him when you rescued me Professor? He is about this big" He held his hands cupped together to form a small sphere "covered in metal, with wings and a tail" he looked expectantly up at Dumbledore who just shook his head in bemusement

"He must've fallen asleep in my bag... _my bag! _I can't believe I forgot about that too! Sir..." He glanced up at the Headmaster pleadingly. Dumbledore let out a small sigh

"Contadina?" There was a crack and a house elf suddenly appeared in front of Dumbledore

"Yes, Sir" the house-elf squeaked in a strangely business-like tone

Dumbledore politely asked the elf to go to the place where Allen had left his stuff and to take it to the hospital wing, with the exception of this 'Timcanpy' which was to be taken to Allen

Allen thanked Dumbledore fervently and let out a sigh "I can't believe it took me so long to notice..." He bent down and gently tugged the gold plate that Mai had resumed playing with out of her hands "You can't play with this Mai" He said firmly "It's not a toy and it belongs to the school" Mai pouted moodily but relinquished her hold on the plate. Allen handed it to Dumbledore who waved his wand causing it to disappear. Mai's eyes grew large as saucers as she witnessed this and she gazed up at Dumbledore with something akin to hero worship in her eyes. Dumbledore chuckled merrily and waved his wand again, conjuring up bright, multicoloured rings of what appeared to be semi-solid smoke. When Mai tried to touch one, it would shy away from her grasp, floating on the eddies of air that her movement caused. Little Mai let out a squeal of delight and proceeded to chase the rings around the room, completely absorbed in her little game

Allen watched her for a few moments with an amused expression on his face before returning to his chair and sitting down in it again. The door to the room opened again and three more house elves scurried in, baring trays laden with finger-foods, little pastries, cheeses, crackers and an abundance of other nibbles. They set the trays down on the little table they had brought in earlier on and whispered "Just in case sir gets hungry again" before throwing nervous looks at the ministry officials and scurrying off, shutting the door silently behind them.

"Right- you _finally _ready to start again?" Fredrick snapped. Without waiting for an answer, he tapped the machines again with his wand causing the screens to flicker back into life and the lines to flurry into life, racing along the screen as if they were as eager for answers as their masters

"Let's go"

* * *

><p>Allen didn't start speaking strait away, pausing for a few moments, seeming unsure of where to begin. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a small sigh "Err, it may be easier if I explain all the facts to you first and then if I tell you how I found it all out, my discoveries were kind of jumbled and disorganised so if I explain things in a chronological order- it will make very little sense" He glanced up at Fredrick who gave a huff of exasperation but nodded.<p>

"The man- or thing- that appeared to me at Mana's graveside is called the Millennium Earl. He forms part of the family of the 'Noah', they gave themselves this name because according to the bible, there was once a flood which destroyed all life on earth except for Noah and his family. Noah was therefore the father of all humankind. The Millennium Earl's wish- it is thought- is to see a repeat of this event. He wishes to become the head of a new world, to bring this about, he has discovered a way to bind deceased human souls to these metal bodies that make up the 'Akuma'. Seemingly though, he cannot create one on his own. He needs someone with a strong personal link to the soul to cry out for them to come back with all the longing of their heart. The Akuma feed on other human souls- that is what keeps them functioning, the more souls they eat the stronger they become. No one knows how many Akuma he has managed to make however it is known that there was a period of time when many hundreds were being made, some 13 or 14 years ago and then all of a sudden it all stopped. As far as we can tell, no Akuma- or at least very few indeed were made between that time and when he appeared to me." Dumbledore narrowed his eyes slightly, catching onto the change into the plural pronoun

"After this, some more appeared though at a significantly reduced rate. Akuma are created with some sort of strange substance, a dark material of some form. There is a counter-substance which can destroy this dark matter however, and it is called 'Innocence'. This is the substance that is in my arm, causing it to be the colour it is. This is why I was able to destroy Mana and... other Akuma. Though they are brought to life by the Dark matter, and are powered by it, they seem incapable of destroying Innocence. I have heard faint rumours though that this 'Noah' family I mentioned before truly exist- that there are a group of followers of the Earl that have the power to destroy Innocence, though I really have no idea if it is true or not- or if it is true, what these Noah are. They aren't Akuma- that much is certain for Akuma simply do not have that type of power, even after evolving"

The door to the interrogation room suddenly opened and everyone- save Mai who was in her own marvellous world of make-believe- jumped, as they were suddenly snapped back to the present. The house elf- Contadina- appeared, bearing a round creature in his arms. Dumbledore looked at it curiously- it seemed to have been covered in a grey metal of some sort that made it look somewhat like a snitch- except slightly larger and with a marvellous tail. Allen let out a yell of joy and leapt up from his chair, hugging the winged creature to his chest "TIMCAMPY! I thought I'd lost you" He cried, he then promptly let out a yelp of pain as the creature bit down on his thumb hard with a set of rather frighteningly pointy teeth "I'm sooo sorry!" He wailed apologetically to the strange creature which begrudgingly let go of the boys thumb and- despite the metal weighing it down- flew up and landed on the boys head. Allen seemed unperturbed by this and sat back down with a pleased, if slightly pained, smile.

"That was quite good timing really, as I was just about to come to how I got all this information. You see, there is a group of people called the 'Black Order' who oppose the Earl. They search for fragments of Innocence which and also try to find Innocence accommodators- these are people who can fight using the innocence and there are very few. Once they are found, the scientists of the Black Order forge weapons out of the innocence. Each of these weapons is unique to the fighter, and once they are equipped with the Innocence, they are called exorcists. As far as I am aware, I am the only accommodator whose Innocence is actually part of his body- anyways, the people of this Order are very secretive, the only reason I heard about them was through the Akuma oddly enough. When I fought them, they would call me 'exorcist' and 'Black Order dog'. After some inquiries, I followed up on the vague rumours that existed about them. I struck lucky one day, I had been tracking down a group of Akuma but by the time I got there, the Order had disposed of them, however in the battle one of their communicators- Timcanpy- had been injured. They had left him there whether on purpose or not I don't know. I fixed him as best as I could and found out that he was still connected the Black Order Network. You see, Tim is a golem. They are creatures not unlike bats and can communicate with each other somewhat like a phone can. The network is obviously completely unhackable because only those with golems equipped with this metal suit which was created by Black Order scientists can link into the network. The golems offered their services to the Black Order in return for this capsule. Not only does it enhance their communication abilities by allowing them to link into phone networks to boost their own signal but it also protects their very delicate bodies. After I realised this, I started to use Timcanpy to hack into the Black Order network, I had to use some technology as well to ensure that they didn't notice and to access some of the higher-up's conversations but it was mostly Timcanpy's work. Through this I learned some more about what happened to me. I was very reluctant to join the order however, as it was very politically motivated. They didn't seem to care much about Akuma if they were just killing people. Instead, they concentrated all their efforts on gathering Innocence and only confronted the Akuma they met while doing so. They had no qualms about human experimentation and often blackmailed accommodators into working for them. However, money was running low for me and I wished to give Mai a better life. Plus I knew that with their superior equipment and knowledge, the Order were my best chance at properly opposing the Earl. This was why I travelled here. I had heard about an Order set up here in Britain ran by a man- Komui- who seemed sympathetic to exorcists and humans alike. I figured that if I was going to join the Order at all, I'd be better joining one with a good leader."

He let out a huge yawn and rubbed both his hands over his face in an attempt to wake himself up "Akuma had begun to disappear from Japan you see, and appear here in Britain. This was the incentive for me to come. The Earl seemed to be on the move again and I wished to be in the best possible place to stop his plan- whatever it was- from succeeding"

He glanced up at Fredrick "That's more or less it" he said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head with his hand "I think I covered most of the important stuff..."

"Yes, well, we shall be the judges of that" Fredrick said stiffly

"Dumbledore, if you will come with me? You boy- stay here"

He spun on his heel and strode out of the room, his lackey trotting dutifully behind him, reels of paper s from the machines spilling from his arms as he went. Dumbledore flashed what he hoped was a reassuring smile at the exhausted boy before he left the room, his head reeling with all the information he had just been given. What on earth was the Ministry's reaction to this going to be?

**Yes Necron, I DID just Stein-ify Dumbledore. You're welcome ^^**

**A/N- Yea, I changed my penname in case you didn't notice- the old one was just a silly thing I made up when I wasn't writing anything- I felt I kindof required a more anime-ish name if I was going to become a fully fledged FF author!**

**I believe I shall now actually stick to my plan of updating weekly. Not to be making excuses or anything but exam time IS coming up so I figure if I can make up a backlog of chapters I can keep you guys happy while still managing to (hopefully) pass my exams. I may pick up the updates after the exams but we shall see ^^**

**Wish me luck btw- I am going to attempt to steal back my 2nd Harry Potter book from my fiendish friend who borrowed it a good few months ago -.- Don't worry though- If I don't get it back I will just borrow the book from the library :) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Necron(slash, Mobius)- Yea, I have developed phycic powers ^^ **

**Kureru- Sorry no :( this one is still rather sad, though you do get to see Dumbledore practically explode, which I guess is amusing. Next chapter will have lol's, Promise!**

**Yea, Allen is a great dad isn't he!**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Maybe not for a while yet, depending on their length, the next two chapters at least'll be developing character relations and plot between wizards & Allen. I promise to dedicate a lengthy third chapter after that to awesome akuma-ness-ism ^^ (yes, that is a word)**

**Shaybo27- Thanks muchly! And tada! Updated! :P hope you enjoy**

Once they stepped outside the room, the Ministry goon shut the door firmly and turned to face Dumbledore

"I shall need to get all this data to the ministry for the official write-up. We shall expect you at precisely 7 AM for a consultation and review. We will also need the medical report from your Nurse. Bring her with you when you come"

Dumbledore frowned irritably at this commanding tone, furrowing his eyebrows and glaring heatedly at this puffed-up popinjay

The man in question visibly quailed under his stern gaze and gave a rather pathetic cough "err, if that is all... yes I believe we are... indeed, well, err all is in order so um... yes" He held out his hand to Dumbledore who coolly cocked an eyebrow and other than that remained perfectly still and stoic. The fool of a wizard gulped slightly, now perspiring vigorously and turned his gesture into an exaggerated check of his wristwatch

"We had better be going. Move it Harold!" The lackey jumped to attention and scurried after his boss towards the fireplace in one of the classrooms where they both disappeared in a flurry or robes and green flames

Dumbledore gave a sigh of relief to see them gone. If he had stayed in their presence much longer, he believed he would have caused some severe damages that even the ministry would be unable to turn a blind eye towards. He glanced down at his watch- 6 hours to go till the 'consultation' enough time, he concluded to have a good nap and still fit in an hour to draw up new theories for all the information he had gathered in the past few hours. He yawned widely, this day had just dragged on forever, it seemed unimaginable that exactly 16 hours ago he had been in the Ministry with no knowledge of the boy or his fantastic tale at all.

Stifling another yawn he began to trudge his way up the corridor. He paused at the end, struck by a sudden thought; he stuck his head into the empty classroom beside him where he saw a house elf dutifully setting all the desks and seats into order for the next day

"Tiptree, could you do me a favour?" He asked jovially, the house elf jumped and bowed low "Of course sir! Anything" Dumbledore sighed inwardly, no matter what he did or how hard he tried it was nigh impossible to get a house elf to speak to you as an equal. Contandina had been the closest he had gotten so far

"I want you to set up a futon or some such thing in the interrogation room for the boy there. Oh, bring in a cot and some toys for the little girl too will you?" The house elf nodded energetically in reply

"Thanks awfully" Dumbledore said "I'm off to bed, please see to it that no one disturbs me unless there is imminent disaster and/or destruction about to occur. Night or rather, Morning I should say" He gave a weary smile and shuffled his way off to his office and to the soft, warm bed that awaited him there.

To say that Dumbledore was angry would be the understatement of the century. To say that he was furious wouldn't be giving it true justice. In fact, comparing his current state of emotions to the notorious Tambora **(1)** would be rather unfair to the volcano

The two hapless ministry ignoramuses were practically shaking in their boots, faced with the livid headmaster

"_What" _seethed the apocalyptic headmaster "_where you thinking?"_

Fredrick- rather annoyed that this man was able to make him feel like a two year old child caught in some act of disobedience- stepped forward and attempted (rather poorly) to put on his 'professional face'

"The child is a foreign fugitive, Dumbledore. You know the wizarding code as well as we do, you know we had every right to detain him as long as we wished"

Dumbledore barely managed to restrain himself from seizing the numbskull by the front of his robes and attempting to shake some sense into his thick head. He settled for drawing himself up to his full height and standing toe-to-toe with the slimeball

"Well pardon me for assuming that you ministry baboons had some small, faded sense of humanity! I guarantee you if I had known that this was going on I would have rained down hell in the form of statutes and legislations on your heads- I think you will find that you are standing on very shaky legal grounds right now"

The ministry goon gulped nervously

* * *

><p><em>(30 minutes ago)<em>

Dumbledore rubbed at the bridge of his nose, he would need to go back to the ministry later and try to talk some sense into them. Having been presented with all the facts, the proof and the evidence they had done what he had feared- declared the young boy mentally unstable and therefore his story untrue and invalid. It had taken all his skills and in-depth knowledge of the amnesty and immigration policies for young foreign wizards to convince the idiots that the boy was no threat and should be allowed to stay. Normally, any wizard willing to leave their home country would be snapped up with no questions asked- the wizard communities were so small they accepted almost anyone that came knocking, though the ministry did, it appear, draw the line with the ones they considered a potential future risk.

It was so typical of the ministry, they probably had seen the truth in the boy's tale but as this was all happening in another country, they wanted nothing to do with it. They had had their fair share of psychopaths trying to take over the world thank you very much and they were not keen on having to deal with another so they did what all good governments do when faced with vital information about a potential disaster that wouldn't directly affect them. They ignored it. _Imbeciles_.

Ah well, there was nothing he could do for the time being. They had decided to wait and question Madame Pomfrey after Dumbledore was finished, due to her duties. Hopefully when she presented her findings from studying the boys arm, the ministry would at least have to contemplate the idea that he wasn't a lunatic.

He let out a little huff as he passed the hospital wing. He glanced down at his watch 12 AM, ah good, time for a bite to eat! At the thought of food his mind immediately turned to the boy. He should be awake now, special arrangements would need to be made of course for his insane appetite, he would need to talk to the house elves and maybe extend the magical field that transported food to the Great Hall so it included the Hospital wing too. He hummed lightly to himself as he wondered down the corridor and bumped into... Tiptree? The house elf looked extremely stressed- and was walking up and down the same stretch of corridor. He practically rebounded off Dumbledore and landed hard on the ground. Oddly enough though, the house elf let out a cry of joy at the sight of his assaulter

"Sir! Tiptree is so glad to see you Sir! Tiptree wasn't sure what to do..." **(2)**

Dumbledore frowned slightly, it wasn't like Tiptree to speak of his own accord- in fact it wasn't like him to speak at all. Not unless it was 'yes sir, no sir, three-bags-full-sir'

"What's wrong?" Dumbledore inquired

"Well, you see Sir, Tiptree did as you told him and took the beds into the interrogation room but there were ministry officials in there and they ordered Tiptree to leave. They were questioning the young boy and Tiptree thought Sir didn't want this but Tiptree wasn't sure and there was no disaster or destruction so Tiptree didn't want to disobey..."

Dumbledore stopped dead in his tracks '_surely not' _he thought desperately '_not even the ministry would' _"Do you mean to tell me that the young boy is still being questioned" He asked incredulously

Tiptree nodded his head up and down so fast his ears flapped against his head. He looked rather nervously at the headmaster "Tiptree knew it" He wailed "Tiptree has failed" He ran as hard as he could in the direction of the wall only to be caught by Dumbledore almost on reflex before he succeeded in doing any damage

"_You_ did nothing wrong Tiptree. You may return to the kitchens. Oh and you are forbidden from causing yourself any physical harm" Tiptree nodded miserably and trotted off down the corridor. Dumbledore was still in a state of shock as he glanced at his watch, '_this means that they have been questioning that poor boy for...__**23 hours**_'

* * *

><p><em>(Present Time)<em>

Dumbledore violently swung the door of the interrogation room open. The scene that met his eyes was unbelievable. There were maps, flip boards, charters, atlases, timelines, notes stuck to the wall with spell-o-tape joined with different colours of thread. It looked like a crime scene and in the middle of all this; Allen sat, still in the wooden seat that had been brought in at the beginning of this whole affair. He was dishevelled and messy- his hair standing almost straight up (he had obviously ran his hand through it many times) deep blue smudges had formed under his eyes and he looked about ready to crack up, his head gripped in both is hands.

"Now tell us" The interrogator said coolly, completely unperturbed by the young boy's discomfort "exactly how do you spell the name of the" he glanced at his notes "23rd circus you joined"

Allen let out a moan "I have already told you" he said, sounding almost at the point of tears "I don't remember... I can't... I'm just so tired... I don't..." He let out a small groan of frustration and ran both his hands through his hair, messing it up even more. He gripped fistfuls of his hair, tugging it hard in an attempt to wake himself up "err... that would be the... ah... circo de los sueños infantiles **(3)**... or no, that was the one after it..." He glanced up as he heard Dumbledore move into the room, his eyes widening when he saw him

"Sir! I'm so sorry sir" he cried, desperation and hysteria creeping into his voice "I just can't remember" His red-rimmed eyes gazed apologetically up at the headmasters narrowed ones. Dumbledore quickly realised that now was not the time to bash the ministry moron's heads together. There would be ample opportunity to do that later. He walked over to Allen and knelt down, so he was eye-to-eye with him

"It's OK" he said gently "you've done very well indeed. Come on, we'll go to the hospital wing and you can get some sleep, all right?" The boy nodded his head and stood up, swaying slightly. He reached his hand out to Mai who was in the corner playing with her toys, obviously having only just woken up from a nap, her hair still mussed and her sleep suit (courtesy of Professor Mcgonagall's transfiguration skills) still on. She toddled over to him and reached her arms up. The boy wearily knelt down to receive her and Dumbledore noticed that it took two attempts before the boy managed to gather together enough energy to straighten up with the added weight. He was going to _kill_ those morons.

They walked silently side by side to the hospital wing, Allen concentrating solely on walking in a straight line and Dumbledore concentrating solely on not turning round and hexing those idiots until even their mothers would be unable to tell the difference between their child and a Mimbulus Mimbletonia!

**A/N, I am rather excited for uploading this because on OpenOffice (which is what I'm writing this on) the first paragraph break line thing is blue and awesome- don't know if it'll show up on fanfic or not though. If it does, I will be sooo happy!**

**Apologies for how long this story is turning out to be, I have a feeling that it'll be like proper book-size by the time I finish. :/ ah well! (I think I may have made a bit of a silly mistake- my first ever fanfic and it is basically a novel!)**

**The name of a rather angry volcano**

**I know, I know, I may have made a bit of a mistake, I forgot to make Contandina refer to himself in the 3rd person, I know that is how house elves talk, but I just was silly and forgot :(**

**I wont change it though because I can justify it- Contandina is one of Dumbledore's oldest house elves, and is therefore less of a suck-up than the others as Dumbledore encourages all his house elves to stand up for themselves. (P.S, you will notice this tendency in me- I tend to make silly mistakes and then justify them in round-about ways :P I'm guessing most of you didn't even notice, but hey, there's your explanation)**

**Apologizes to the actual smart people out there. Yea... google translate :/ sorry!**

**Wish me luck again btw, 2nd attempt at getting my book back. -.-**

**Still planning on only updating on Saturday's- but my dad is taking me down to England tomorrow, so... I figured it'd be better to update now rather than at 11 tomorrow night :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**OK, I have just realised that I haven't been putting that disclaimer things that most ff writers put in. Tbh, If you haven't realised by now that I am neither JK or Katsura Hoshino then you are a little bit stupid, I am not going to post this every chapter like most ff writers do because I am not that big headed nor do I think that you readers are stupid. I'll just throw it in this once. Yea. I'm not a professional author- more's the pity!**

**Shaybo27- Ta muchly :) hopefully it'll go somewhere good- I hold high hopes... glad you enjoyed it**

**Necron-I almost miss your constructive criticism...it doesn't feel right with just compliments!**

**Kureru- Thank you so much! Here is a slightly lighter one anyway... I felt after all the seriousness it needed a little sillyness :P Hope you continue enjoying and any comments or suggestions are appreciated as always!**

**Sammi117- Yea, I think I may have taken your words too literally- I think this may be my longest one yet! Glad you like the story ^^**

**Shaybo27- The ministry is full of morons :P And thank you so much for the kind words, I hope you continue to enjoy it :)**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Next chapter Dumbledore will give Fudge a right dressing down :D Looking forward to writing it!**

**777angeloflove- Thanks! And Tada! I'm hopefully gonna update every Saturday so hope you keep reading *puppy eyes***

Dumbledore left the exhausted boy off at the doors of the hospital ward and pulled Madame Pomfrey outside. She stood there tapping her foot in irritation giving him a look that could curdle milk

"And exactly who do I have to thank for half killing my patient" she practically snarled, her eyes glinting dangerously. Dumbledore gave a rather nervous gulp- this woman was scary sometimes

He explained the situation to her and then- rather nervously told her that the ministry wanted to question her about the medical facts of the boy's condition. Her fierce look faded slightly, and she just looked rather concerned

"The poor boy, he has been through so much- I'm afraid my medical knowledge only validates his story. I noted as I examined him that his arm- well- it has obviously been like this for the majority of his life but it couldn't have been like it from birth. It has clear signs of dark magic but of what form I could only speculate. His eye on the other hand occurred later on, my spells gave me a rough time-scale and it would also coincide with his story" She heaved a small sigh and smiled weakly at Dumbledore

"I will tell them about my findings, but you know as well as I do. The government will see what they want to see"

Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders "There is little we can do about that. If nothing else, perhaps your evidence will convince them to let me investigate as I wish. Not that they could have stopped me anyway- but I do like to make them feel like they are in charge"

Madame Pomfrey nodded curtly and marched down the corridor, rather reluctantly leaving her ward and charges behind

* * *

><p>Harry glanced up from the photo album Hagrid had just dropped off as the door opened. Allen staggered in almost drunkenly, clutching a struggling Mai in his arms. Harry stared in shock- Allen was white as a sheet with deep blue bags under his blood-shot eyes. He looked as if he had got into a fight with Devil's Snare and had lost. Badly. His hair and clothes were rumpled and untidy, which was odd because he had been so neat when he had left for questioning the day before. Allen's dull, tired eyes lit up slightly when he saw Harry<p>

"Harry! Hi! Could you do me a huge favour please- Mai stop wriggling now- I am just so..." he fought back a yawn at this stage as if to emphasise his words "...so... tiered and Mai only just woke up and she wants to play and I just...need..." he staggered up to the bed and thrust an excitable Mai into Harry's arms before dragging himself over to his bed

Harry looked at the giggling child he was now holding at arm's length away from him with a look of severe distrust on his face

"Allen!" He cried nervously "What on earth am I supposed to do with it. Her" there was silence and after a moments deliberation Harry chanced it- taking his eyes of the child quickly to glance over at Allen's bed. The young boy had face-planted on top of the covers and was already fast asleep. Harry gulped nervously and looked back at the hyper child he was clutching in his hands. He had never had to deal with young kids before- all the parents at Privet Drive would have rather have entrusted their child to a mass murderer than allow a ruffian like him to baby sit. What if he broke her? What if she needed fed? Did toddlers even eat normal food? He looked at the little girl's angelic face and swore that she grinned at him- that glint in her eye looked anything but friendly. Harry all of a sudden found himself fervently wishing that he was back in the depths of the school with Voldemort again. At least then he had known what he was facing.

* * *

><p>Allen very slowly worked his way back to consciousness. He lay still for some time in a half- asleep state, his mind reluctantly kick-starting itself again after the abuse it had suffered. He shivered slightly, realising that he was lying on top of his covers. The room was completely silent and Allen relaxed again, drifting in and out of a doze. For some reason his mind wouldn't let him fall asleep again- there was some little thought niggling away at him. Frowning slightly, Allen tried to figure out what is was. Something important... something he should remember... Mai! Allen sat bolt upright his heart thumping wildly '<em>where was Mai!'<em> Then it came to him, he had given her to Harry. Thank goodness. He let out a sigh of relief and turned around

What

On

EARTH

Allen froze in place- paralysed with shock

The room had been turned upside down, the curtains around Harry's bed were knocked over, his sweets and presents scattered all over the room with brightly coloured wrappers coating the floor and beds like so many flower petals. The mattress of the bed was hanging drunkenly off its frame, forming a triangular fort with the floor in which the pillows had been stuffed. The blankets were in a bundle at the opposite end of the room and a metal medicine trolley was lying on its back like an overturned beetle, one wheel still spinning uselessly in the air

Time seemed to stand still for a while as Allen just stared at the scene before him; unable to quite grasp what it was he was seeing. He blinked a couple of times and after reluctantly deciding that what he was seeing was not a sleep-deprived hallucination he tentatively made his way towards the bomb-site picking his way through potion bottles and sweet boxes. As he neared the bed he caught a glimpse of a hand poking out from under it. He squatted down and curiously peered under- Harry lay there, limbs askew snoring quietly. There were chocolaty smudges all over his face, one of them taking the shape of a familiar, small handprint. His hair was stuck up at an odd angle, held in place by more chocolate and his glasses were missing. Allen leaned forward and prodded his face repeatedly until the boy stirred

"Whuzzgoingon" Harry slurred eloquently as he blurredly opened his eyes. He blinked owlishly for a minute before shooting upright

"Mai!"

There was a clang and Allen winced sympathetically as Harry's head met the unforgiving metal underside of the bed

"Yes" He said in a blasé tone

"I was sort of wondering what you had done with her too"

Harry groaned in pain as he gingerly felt the back of his head and edged his way out from under the bed

"What _I_ did to her? Me! I didn't do _anything. _That thing isn't human! Look what she did to me!" He cried indignantly waving his arm dramatically at his face "She got a hold of the table and knocked it over then she found the chocolate" His face became a mask of horror and he shuddered

"Never, ever, let that _thing_ get chocolate if you value your life! She started to swing off the curtain and then your weird bird thingy joined in too and it fell over and I tried to stop her and she got a hold of my glasses..._my glasses_" He started to frantically feel his way about the floor for his spectacles

Allen watched him silently, at a complete loss for what to say. He glanced up and saw Timcampy perched on top of the overturned trolley, chewing on one of the legs of Harry's spectacles. He bit his lip hard and relieved the golem of its toy and handed them back to Harry who shoved them onto his face. Unfortunately, it turns out glasses and golems don't mix well and the frames now sat at an unnatural angle on Harry's face

Harry now looked at Allen who he could- finally- properly see. The boy was shaking all over and he had the oddest expression on his face

"...Allen?" Harry said nervously

The young boy let out a very strange sound, somewhat like the noise a kettle makes when it is left on the heat too long. Harry blinked in a rather confused manner- Allen was bright red and he was shaking even more violently now

"...err, are you... OK?"

There was a violent explosion as Allen gave up at trying holding it in any longer. He fell to the floor, tears streaming down his face as he positively howled with laughter. Harry pouted huffily at Allen,

"It isn't funny you know! That child is freakishly fast and strong"

Allen attempted to contain his laughter but he was unable to and dissolved once again into hysterical giggles "S..s...so...sorry" He stuttered out between gulps of air "It's just...you're... and she's...only four years old!" he snorted at this point and clapped both his hands over his mouth in a vain attempt to hold in the laughter that was threatening to burst out again. He closed his eyes tight and tried to concentrate on taking deep breaths. After regaining some of his composure, he opened them again to see Harry sitting cross-legged on the floor with a moody look on his face, a small smile tugging stubbornly at the corner of his mouth.

"You quite finished?" he asked grumpily. Allen wordlessly nodded, not trusting himself to speak again. At this point, the small bundle of pillows under the mattress-fort moved and Mai appeared out from under it obviously having been disturbed from her game by the sounds of hilarity. She let out a squeal of delight as she saw her Papa finally awake and she trotted over to him, throwing her arms around him. Allen looked up at Harry again who was gaping at the child before him apparently having lost the ability to speak

"How do you DO that? She wouldn't come to me even when I bribed her with chocolate!"

Mai giggled delightedly as she saw Harry "Papa, I like that one, can I keep him?" she questioned innocently, gazing up at Allen who had once again clapped his hand over his mouth, trying to hold in the gales of laughter that were threatening to bubble over again. Harry scowled in irritation at the boy

"Oh, shut up you!" he muttered, as the boy started to snigger again "S'not my fault you have some magical calming influence over that monster. I swear she was worse when you were asleep" He glowered at the little girl

"Yea, you just keep pretending. I know your secret; you can't play all sweet and innocent with me _demon_!" At this, Allen once again dissolved into hysterical laughter as he fell to the floor clutching his stomach groaning in pain

"aha... it hurts!...hahahaha" Mai thought this game was hilarious and she too started to laugh lightly, her voice high and sweet as she joined her Papa rolling about uncontrollably on the floor. Harry attempted on principle to keep a scowl on his face but even his pride wasn't strong enough to resist the contagious giggles for too long and after a few minutes, his resistance crumbled and he too started to laugh along with his new friends

Then the door of the ward flew open and a shadowy figure stood silhouetted against the frame

"What."

"Have."

"You."

"DONE TO MY LOVELY WARD!"

Harry, Allen and Mai all gulped simultaneously. Madame Pomfrey was back!

* * *

><p>2 Hours later, a rather subdued Harry and Allen sat on the end of the bed they had just finished making, both simultaneously slumped back to lie parallel to each other letting out sighs of exhaustion<p>

"I never want to see a scrubbing brush again in my life" Allen groaned draping his arm over his eyes, shielding himself from the light that was streaming over the bed from the window as the sun made its last dying effort to blind the castles occupants before succumbing to the darkness of night.

"I know what you mean" Harry muttered, trying to keep his voice low so _she _wouldn't hear them and find something else that needed cleaned. "I feel like my arms are about to fall off" He moaned lightly and rubbed his hands over his face

"Why didn't she make Mai clean? It was _her _fault anyway" He glanced over to the other side of the room where a now-clean Mai lay sleeping peacefully in a cot

"Mind you, the prefect bathrooms were a real treat. If she hadn't threatened to scrub us herself unless we were in and out in less than 15 minutes, it would have been almost relaxing!"

Allen grunted in agreement, stifling a yawn "I've never seen anything like it before. Magic is pretty awesome you know. Insane and illogical, but freaking awesome!"

Harry laughed "Yea, you got that right! You know, the first bit of magic I ever did was shrink a disgusting second-hand bobbled jumper of my cousins till it was too small to fit a doll"**(1)** He chuckled at the memory

"My aunt tried to force it over my head but it just kept getting smaller and smaller. Thankfully she thought it had just shrunk in the wash or I'd have been in trouble- my uncle and her don't take kindly to magic at all. They were positively livid when I got the letter inviting me here"

Allen rolled over onto his stomach and perched his chin on top of his hands "You were raised by your Aunt and Uncle?" He asked curiously

"Well, yeah" Harry said awkwardly "I thought everyone knew about me" he said almost to himself

"New guy, remember?" Allen teased lightly

Harry smiled at this "Well, you see, my parents were murdered by a dark wizard called Voldemort. He tried to kill me too but he didn't manage" Harry swept back his bangs and gestured to his scar.

"That's how I got this"

Allen's smile faded "I'm sorry" he said simply, realising there was no other comfort he could offer

Harry shrugged slightly "Isn't your fault. I never really knew them. Must be so much harder for those who lose the ones they know"

Allen's face fell further. Harry noticed his change in demeanour and plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been bugging him for quite some time

"Sorry to ask you this, I know I hated it when people asked me, but where did you get your scar Allen"

Allen was immediately thrown into a silent inner turmoil, he trusted Harry completely of course but Madame Pomfrey had told him that Dumbledore didn't want him speaking of Innocence or anything connected to it until the ministry thing was sorted out. After some deliberation, he decided to settle for half the truth

"I was orphaned at a young age too, I never knew what happened to my parents. After some time I was adopted by a circus clown and- similar to you- a dark wizard named the Millennium Earl killed my adoptive father and left me with this scar and the white hair"

He gave a sad smile to Harry who nodded in understanding. They lay for some time, each wallowing in their own thoughts and wordlessly appreciating the understanding between them. After a few minutes had passed, Harry let out a wry chuckle. Allen looked over at him and raised one eyebrow questioningly. Harry smiled and shook his head

"I was just thinking, what is it with dark wizards and pathetic names, I mean '_Voldemort' _and '_Millennium Earl' _come on! If you're gonna be a tyrannical overlord, you need to at least have the creative ability to come up with a better name than that!"

Allen smirked, his silver eyes lighting up slightly again "you know, Voldemort means 'flight of death' in French"

Harry laughed outright at this "That is horrible! He may as well have called himself 'Lord Doom'"

"Or Shadow King" Allen joined in

"Destroyer"

"Avenger"

"Dr. Death"

"Nightshade!"**(2)**

Both boys continued fabricating more and more ridiculous names, neither one able to fully let go of the sadness within their hearts but both taking comfort in the knowledge that they were not alone in their suffering.

**A/N**

**Yea, apologies to any HP fans that know better but I think I remember this being one of Harry's earliest performances of magic though I couldn't remember which book it was I read it in so I am not 100% sure (Still don't have my 2nd HP book back yet -.-)**

**Copywrite warning in advance- these names have probably been used in 1000+ stories :P No offence to all the authors who used them... but yea...**

**Can I have some thoughts please, I would like to know what you guys think about my chapters- I am fine with continuing the way I am going but I notice that it is moving a bit more slowly that a good story perhaps should. Do you like it this way or would you rather I skipped over some of the character development and less- important**

**parts so I cant get on with the real story?**

**P.S. Wish me luck again. 3rd attempt to get by book back :/**


	11. Chapter 11

**Necron- Spoilers! Can't give away everything, then you'd have no incentive to continue reading :P**

**sammie117 and 777angeloflove- Thank you! That one was quite fun to write ^^**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- I know right? They are indeed terrifying creatures. And I can't tell you yet, mainly because I haven't quite decided . I was considering on leaving them out for a while yet as Allen didn't meet them till he was 15 so I was going to wait till the 4th year but we shall see. It may change yet**

**Kureru- So glad I managed to cheer you up- Maths is never fun :P Hope you enjoy this one too!**

Dumbledore ignored the wooden chair that had been oh-so-kindly set out for him by the Ministry officials who were all of a sudden fawning over him as they realised the true extent of their mistake in questioning Allen. Dumbledore smirked slightly as he conjured up his favourite purple chintz chair. He absolutely _loved_ the 'protection of underage wizards' Act of 1975, though he had a nagging suspicion that Fudge was going to change it now after the issues it had just caused him. He had been quite ready to kick the poor boy out of Britain and back into Japan without so much as an apology however Dumbledore had been kind enough to point out that if he did so, a lawsuit big enough to make the most seasoned layer quiver would land on his desk. At this, Fudge had rather quickly reviewed his plans and came to the conclusion that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to allow Allen to stay after all.

"So" Dumbledore said calmly as he settled down in his chair "What have you decided"

Fudge cleared his throat and began to re-align the quills on his desk in order of height and nib-thickness

"We have come to our decision Dumbledore. We have concluded having seen the medical reports and having heard the boy's testimony that he was indeed injured by dark magic. This obviously addled his brains, causing the hallucinations and delusions about these so-called 'Akuma' and this 'Earl'. As for his arm holding magical powers, this is clearly poppycock too- seems to be a further delusion of his...err... unstable mind. We have however decided that as he has so far shown no signs of violence that he is not currently any danger and therefore can be allowed to mingle with the general public. If that changes, if we get even the slightest whiff of anything suspicious, we will have to send him to St. Mugo's. It's for everyone's protection really."

Dumbledore smiled and nodded "You know, minister" He said pleasantly "You are without a doubt the most excellent politician I have ever met. Your ability to dress up this pile of dung in pretty frills and ribbons just proves that the public most definitely made the right choice when they elected you. Rest assured that I will, as I have always done, pick up the slack and make up for your incompetence by actually acting on this information. If you wish to remain in government when this whole thing blows up in your face, I would suggest you let me do as I wish. I assure you, I will allow you to take the credit as always so there is no need to be concerned" He stood up and, with a barely perceivable flick of his wand caused his chair to disappear and a small gust of wind to sweep over the ministers desk ruining the neat alignment of his quills. Dumbledore smiled inwardly at this childish victory and swept away before Fudge realised that it had been him.

"Oh, and by the way" Dumbledore said just before he exited the room

"The boy is coming to Hogwarts. I shall assume that you have enough common sense to realise that that is the best place for him and therefore will set no more petty bureaucratic obstacles in my way. I am rather bored of skirting around paperwork at this stage. Adieu"

* * *

><p>"No"<p>

"...So Professor McGonagall will sort out... wait, what?"

Allen folded his arm stubbornly across his chest "I came here to fight Akuma and save as many souls as I could, Professor. No offence or anything but I fail to see how exactly I will be able to that effectively if I am in a classroom writing down 101 ways to tame a dragon or whatever it is you teach here"

"There's actually only 1 really, and we don't teach it here anymore- the health and safety regulations were a right pain in the..." Dumbledore trailed off, his eyes sparkling slightly

"Regardless, Allen, you must come to school. You have magic and if you don't learn to control it, you will just be putting your life and the lives of those you love at risk. You are still young, enjoy your childhood while you can- you are entitled to happiness just as much as anyone else. Besides, it is illegal for untrained wizards to run around Britain getting up to who-knows-what. The Ministry would never allow it"

Allen shook his head stubbornly

"There is no way- I don't care if I am breaking the law doing it, I refuse to sit here being pampered while there are people and souls out there suffering because of my selfishness. I am a child no longer Dumbledore- age is not something that can be measured in years, but rather by experience and I have experienced enough Dumbledore, believe you me, I have experienced enough to remove the child in me completely."

Dumbledore sighed deeply, he had been afraid of this. There was nothing for it- he couldn't let this one slip the net- he had too much potential. He held too much promise. Perhaps he had been wrong about the prophesy after all, perhaps this child was the key to all his questions. There was no way he was going to allow him to disappear now. He was going to have to do the thing which he promised himself he would never do. He was going to have to make an exception to the rules

"What if I gave you the freedom to leave when Akuma appeared? You managed to uphold jobs while in Japan and still fight Akuma, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to do the same with education. The school will be funded for you, you will have an allowance provided for all the equipment you need as well, so money will no longer be a worry for you. Besides, you never know, what you learn here may help you to save more people in the future- having an extra weapon never hurt. Plus if you joined us, you would no longer need to sacrifice your ideals. We do not perform illegal human experiments or prize politics above life. You would still have the freedom to save souls regardless of whether or not some bureaucrat considered them to be important"

Allen frowned and sat in silence for a while

"Can I think about it?"

* * *

><p>Harry and Ron made their way towards the fat lady's portrait, scarcely believing they were still alive and in one piece after their adventure. Hermione was waiting for them, an extremely disapproving look on her face and her arms tightly folded across her chest<p>

"...Irresponsible and childish! Oh by the way, Harry, you _missed_ it because you were away being clobbered half to death by a tree but remember that boy you told us about? The one from the hospital wing? Yes well he has been sorted into Griffindor. He is in our year actually, turns out he fast tracked by sitting the 1st year exams over the summer holidays. His little sister is here too, turns out Dumbledore adopted the both of the so she is staying in the..."

"WHAT?" both Harry and Ron yelled, identical expressions of shock and horror on their faces

"Dumbledore ADOPTED THEM?" they both cried in disbelief

Hermione sniffed at their reactions "yes, well that _was_ what I just said wasn't it? Honestly, you two are so immature sometimes- why shouldn't Dumbledore adopt?"

Ron snorted at this "Because he is ancient and a complete and utter crackpot that's why!"

Hermione shot him a rather condescending look before choosing to ignore his comment "Anyway, they are both inside if you want to..." She was once again rudely interrupted as both the boys barged past her into the common room, gaining access through the portrait that she opened for them as she followed rather huffily behind

Harry managed to get through first, and he immediately picked Allen out from the crowds of people there. Mainly because almost every single Griffindor had gathered in a semi-circle around him and were bombarding the poor boy with so many questions that it was impossible to discern one from the next.

As soon as Harry climbed through the portrait, Allen's face split into a grin "Harry!" He cried causing the entire common rooms attention to turn on him. Harry gulped nervously and glared at Allen who mouthed '_sorry' _from his spot behind the pack of people who all simultaneously began asking questions about his crash landing in the school grounds

* * *

><p>Harry, Allen and Ron eventually managed to escape from their schoolmates and ran into their dorm. They all slumped down simultaneously on the floor, laughing rather giddily at their situation.<p>

"So" Harry said, turning to face Allen "You were _adopted_ by Dumbledore?"

Allen laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his head rather sheepishly "Yea, well, it was the only way he could convince me to stay at school- see I told him on no uncertain terms that Mai came above everything in my books, even my education so the only way I would come here would be if Mai could come too. Of course that is against the school rules but Dumbledore found some loophole somewhere that stated that the headmaster could bring his children to the school regardless of their age so he adopted both of us. It's purely to please the paper pushers- I mean it isn't as if he acts as a 'dad' or anything; he is more of a... guardian? A sensei? I still have full responsibility of caring for Mai, although she is looked after by Madame Pomfrey while I am here or in class. He just provides us with the place to stay and in return I have to promise to come to school and work hard" He shrugged "seemed like a good deal to me!"

Harry and Ron were both dumfounded

"What is his house like" Ron asked, completely out of the blue "I just can't imagine him _living_ anywhere"

Allen laughed again "I know what you mean! His house is, like a huge mansion on this sea cliff it has the biggest grounds you have ever seen and it's all overgrown and wild like a jungle. The house itself is mental- It's full of these really weird metaphorical things, like as soon as you walk in the front door, there is this huge tree, growing out of the hallway floor. It is almost reaching the ceiling and is a deep mahogany colour, with dark red leaves shaped like stars- its leaves are constantly falling down and being reproduced. I made the mistake one day of asking him why it was there and he launched into-and I'm not even joking- an hour long lecture on how it symbolised the futile struggles of nature and humankind, for the tree was reaching for the unattainable sun, that it signified the resilience of nature for it was slowly cracking the man-made stone of the floor, that he enjoyed walking across the carpet of leaves and wondering over the endless cycle of life and death, each causing the other for the leaves which fall off the tree provide the nutrients for the next generation. He also said he thought it was marvellous that the tree had created its own universe, that it surrounded itself by shooting stars, and then after all this he just gave me a rather funny look and said 'plus I thought it was pretty' and wondered off to make himself a cup of tea"

Ron and Harry both sat in a stunned silence before Ron piped up "Yup. He is most definitely barmy" and with this deep and philosophical statement, he began to dig through his trunk looking for his pyjamas

At this stage, Seamus and Dean burst through the door to the dorm, deep in conversation. As soon as Seamus spotted the boys in the middle of the dorm, he froze and turned to face Dean, muttering something under his breath. The two boys then continued into the dorm in silence, shooting a rather dirty look in Allen and Harry's direction before sitting on their beds and sorting through their stuff. Harry was rather bemused by their behaviour- he had always gotten on well with the boys and couldn't figure out what was wrong with them. Allen who of course didn't know them at all stood up and stretched,

"Well, I don't know about you lot but I am exhausted!" He rummaged through his trunk and pulled out a wash-bag before shuffling off to the dormitory bathroom

* * *

><p>Dean let out a 'tch' of disgust when Allen exited the room and rolled his eyes at Seamus who returned the gesture "Just our luck to be trapped in the same room with the freak huh?"<p>

Harry looked over at Ron, who gave him an equally confused look back

"Err, what are you guys on about?" Harry asked

"That white-haired freak- he gives me the creeps. People like him shouldn't be allowed in schools, _I _certainly don't want to be in the same room as him" Dean snorted in agreement and shook his head in disgust "Can't believe Dumbledore actually let him in"

Harry bristled at this comment about his new friend "Neither of you even know him, how can you judge someone like that without ever speaking to them? Allen is a great guy"

Seamus shot Dean a rather dark look "Have you two even _seen_ his scar? Don't you know what that sign means? It is the sign of the most evil and dark magic that has ever existed. I don't even want to _know _how he got it! Even You- Know- Who didn't meddle with that branch of magic"

Dean nodded in conformation "Me and Seamus met up over the holidays and we saw an article about it in the Daily Prophet. I'm telling you, that boy is dangerous"**(1)**

Harry and Ron looked at each other, both thinking the same thing

"_How exactly had Allen gained that scar?"_

* * *

><p>When Allen wondered back into the dorm, dressed in a shirt about five times too big for him (which came in handy as the sleeve finished well below his fingertips) everyone had already settled down in their beds with the curtains drawn. The room was awkwardly silent, as if all the occupants were holding their breaths- there was no snoring or heavy breathing. Just silence. Allen made his way slowly to his bed, unsure of what to make of it. He sat down on the end of his bed and glanced around the dorm again but the red hangings of all the beds remained shut, enclosing their occupants in their crimson cocoons. Allen shook his head, and told himself he was just imagining things. They must all have been tired. It was late after all. He rolled into his bed and pulled his own curtains shut.<p>

Two beds away, Harry lay his eyes open, staring blankly at the room of his four poster bed, his mind a million miles away. He remembered what Allen had told him about his scar all those months ago. But he had been so vague, who was it that had given him it? What wizard was there that had dabbled in magic darker than anything even Voldemort would venture into? And how on earth had Allen gotten mixed up in it. Sleep was a long time coming to him that night as suspicions and thoughts swirled around his head like unchartable constellations and galaxies

**A/N (1) I am putting this prejudice in here because of how Seamus and Dean acted in the 4th book. They didn't strike me as the most accepting of people**

**So yeah, I am going to assume that if you are reading this, you already know the Harry Potter books back to from like I do so I will be able to shorten this story slightly by leaving out any of the irrelevant stuff like what happened during Harry's summer- you know, the whole Dobby incident, car wreck issue etc etc. **

**Also, I will I think re-post my question over the next few chapters to see what you guys think and if it is fairly evenly split, I'll just continue at the pace I am going**

**review 1- if I am going too slow and 2- if I am going at the right pace and 3- if I am going too fast (though I sincerely doubt that I am going too fast)**

**Thaaaaanks so much to all of you lovely reviewers btw! ('')**

**Oh and in case anyone is curious, apparently the green goblin that haunts my friends house has eaten my 2nd HP book . still. Borrowed one from the library so all is fine.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Kureru- Thanks so much ^^ hope you enjoy this one too. Thanks as well for that website, turns out that my book has vanished into thin air so I definitely need it **

**777angeloflove- I know right? Dean and Seamus are meany faces :P**

**sammi117- Tada! Hope you enjoy this one too**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- He'll survive with great difficulty- just wait till I get Draco involved in this too :D**

**Here is the fight scene I know a whole bunch of you have been asking for. I hope you enjoy it!**

Explosions of red, blue and green burst across the black expanse as Allen scrunched his eyes tight shut, causing the supernova's to explode across his eyelids. He opened his eyes and exhaled, long and slow as he coiled his body up, crouching low to the ground. With an explosive movement, he flung his body into the air, back arching to form a 'C' shape, arms lifted high, and fingertips searching. They enclosed around the branch of the tree he had his back to and with the skill of a trapeze artist, he swung his body up, pausing momentarily to gain his balance before bounding from branch to branch with reckless speed till he reached one that lay in line with the roof of a small, decrepit cottage.

He crouched on the branch for a moment, back pressed against the trunk of the tree as he pulled out his wand and muttered a string of protective spells**(1)** against the cottage and its occupants. Once his incantations were finished, he stored his wand back in his pocket and stood up, one arm touching the trunk of the tree, the other lightly brushing the branch as he calculated his trajectory. At this moment, his eye suddenly activated, the gears whirring as they informed him that three level ones were approaching from the East. A grimace passed across the young boys face. Three levels ones.**(2)** He _had_ faced that many before but it had been a difficult fight- he just hoped that he was stronger now. With a silent prayer sent up to the starry expanse spread out above him, he pushed off the trunk and sped along the branch, feet never faltering once, automatically adjusting to the uneven surface beneath them. With a burst of energy, Allen flew across the gap between the tree and the house, landing cat-like on the ridge, hands gripping the bulge at the apex of the tiles tightly. He immediately turned to face his opponents who could only be seen by their black outline in the skies as they blocked out the silvery pinpricks of stars in the black canvas. A bead of sweat ran down the Allen's cheek as he waited for his enemies to reach him.

Allen pressed himself flat against the roof of the house, gripping onto the ridge to keep his balance as he waited for the Akuma to get close enough- he was going to need the element of surprise against so many opponents. He raised himself up slightly so he was ready to leap up over the peak of the roof. He quickly wiped his forehead against his sleeve and waited, tension curling in his stomach like some restless beast. 30 meters, 25, 20

"_Innocence" _He whispered "_ACTIVATE" _With that cry, he vaulted over the roof and catapulted himself towards the approaching Akuma, swiping the nearest with the claws of his activated arm, puncturing its metal skin and using the explosion caused by its destruction to launch himself towards the second one.

The Akuma dodged his attack and Allen landed lightly on the ground, crouching as low as possible before leaping back up and twisting gracefully in the air, soaring over the Akuma, to land momentarily on the tree behind it then using the trunk as a launching pad to rocked towards its back. The third Akuma flew in front, blocking Allen's attack and it began to shoot, twisting its cannons to face the young boy. Allen gasped and quickly contorted his body to avoid the shots coming his way, thanking his stars for all his days as a gymnast in the circus. He carried along his trajectory, now too close for the Akuma's bullets to reach him, and he swiped with his claws at the doll-like face of the creature, almost subconsciously looking up at the young man's twisted soul that was chained to the terrible creature's body.

'_I will free you!'_ Allen thought, desperately hoping that the poor person's soul would soon be released from its terrible fate. The claws of his hand caught the Akuma's face, but the power behind the attack had been lost. Allen quickly pushed off, soaring high above the Akuma's head and using gravity to his advantage as he hurtled back towards it, and at the last minute, twisting his body round again catching his claws in the top most part of the Akuma then allowing gravity to do the rest of the work, dragging his body down, and so, splitting the Akuma neatly in half.

Allen landed heavily on the ground, panting from exertion. All of a sudden he heard a rushing sound and instinctively flung himself out of the way. The ground where he had been a moment ago exploded with a vicious force. Purple flashes of energy from the remaining Akuma flew towards him in heavy succession, forcing him to dodge and roll around the clearing, unable to get enough time to form a counter attack. He turned around to face his enemy, skidding to a stop. His grey eyes widened in shock as the purple cannon fire was reflected in them- heading straight towards him. He raised his cursed arm, catching the bullets in it, the force knocking him further back. Allen quickly swung himself around again and ran for the cover of trees, hoping the enclosed space would remove the bulky creature's manoeuvrability. Unfortunately, the Akuma caught on to his plan and sent his cannon fire towards the tree directly in front of Allen, causing it to explode. Allen yelped and once again skidded to a halt, throwing his arms up to protect his face from the shrapnel. He winced as some of the bark lodged in his arm and spun around again to face his enemy- trying his utmost to concentrate on the bulbous body rather than the soul chained to it. It was a child. This realisation hit him like a physical blow, the air in his lungs somehow felt deficient- like someone had punched him hard in the gut and he now couldn't draw a breath. He hated the young souls the most, it just made it harder to concentrate on the fight. With a conscious effort, he focused once more on the Akuma's body, just in time to notice that all the cannons were once again trained on him. With a gasp, he flung himself out of the way again

'_this can't go on' _he thought desperately as he dodged another volley of bullets '_I need to launch an attack and get this over with before I sustain any more injuries'_ He glanced down at his arm. He sleeve was soaked in blood and the shock of the attack was beginning to wear off. The pain was beginning to take its place.

Allen narrowed his eyes and dug his feet into the ground, crouching low while the Akuma waited for the dust to clear before it launched another volley.

'_It's now or never!'_ He thought and with that, he pushed off the ground with as much power as possible, soaring through the dust clouds left by the last attack and striking the Akuma hard on its side before it had a chance to retaliate.

"Pitiful Akuma, may your soul be saved" He cried, as he grabbed his cursed arm with his injured one, putting as much force behind the blow as possible.

* * *

><p>Allen wearily headed back to the <em>Dustdevil <em>broomstick that had taken him to this location. Timcampy was flying in lazy circles above the stick, patiently waiting for the return of his young master. Allen gave one last check of the cottage he had left behind. Repairing the damage of the battle had taken some time, plus after checking on the elderly residents of the house, he had felt that he needed to help and so had spent a good 20 minutes repairing the leaking roof and damaged windows of the house. He glanced at his watch. It was 5 in the morning. He let out a weary sigh. There was hardly any point in going back to the dorm now, any sleep he would get would only make him more tiered. He swung his leg up over the large broom and wrapped the thick woollen cloak he had left there round his body, pulling the hood low over his head and stowing Timcampy on his shoulder under the cloak to protect him from the turbulence.

Allen clung tightly to the handle of the broom, wishing fervently that he had brought gloves with him, he didn't think he would ever be able to prise his frozen fingers off this lump of wood ever again. He screwed his eyes up against the wind, even with the cloak he was chilled to the bone- though on the plus side, his arm wasn't hurting anymore or maybe it was and he just couldn't feel it. Allen shuddered- there is something intrinsically unpleasant about hurtling through the air at 50mph with only a stick of wood between you and... well... gravity. Thankfully the castle was now in sight. A hot showers and a cup of steaming hot chocolate waited inside. Allen's mouth immediately began to water at the thought. He was _starving_! He pulled hard at the broom handle to slow it down before he reached the outskirts of the grounds. The downside to such a speedy broom was that it took forever and a day to slow down plus if you wanted to turn, you had to do it about half an hour in advance which was a little bit of a nuisance to say the least. He had almost slowed to a halt when he reached the outer wall of the school grounds and after slowly prising his stiff fingers off the handle, he raised his index finger out into the air. Silver lines rippled lightly out from his fingertip and the shield that surrounded the school melted away in that section to allow him passage before sealing up seamlessly as soon as he entered.

Allen crash-landed clumsily on the lawn outside the front doors. Grumbling to himself about uncontrollable broomsticks and the freezing weather, he heaved the broom over his shoulder and slid through a concealed side-door in the wall of the castle

* * *

><p>The searing hot water slowly coaxed Allen's blood into circulating properly again, thawing out his frozen limbs. He stood beneath the torrent of water, his eyes shut, relishing the sensation of feeling again. With a deep, contented sigh, he opened his eyes and started to pick out the wood splinters in his arms with his teeth, nipping them out and spitting them into the basin of the shower. The water swirling around his feet took on a pinkish hue as his blood mingled with it. Yawning widely, Allen stepped out of the shower and dried himself, gingerly edging his way around the myriad of small cuts that covered his arms and legs before smearing a pale green gel (courtesy of Madame Pomfrey) over the worse cuts and changing into a set of freshly laundered robes.<p>

He padded his way across the ward floor and entered the small side-room that was now Mai's nursery. She lay, sleeping peacefully in the cot, her breathing light and steady. A soft smile spread across Allen's face and he made his way across the room, sitting down beside the cot and leaning his head against the railing. He slid one arm between the bars and laid it gently on the little girl's soft cheek, the heavy weight on his heart lightening almost immediately. The images of tortured souls and battle torn lawns faded away till all that was left was the slow, steady breaths of the sleeping infant. Allen closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax and drift away, his breathing slowing to match that of the slumbering child's. Not quite asleep and yet not quite awake, he drifted in the land of half-dreams until Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room to get Mai up for her breakfast. The sudden sound startled both the children into wakefulness and Mai's eyes lit up immediately as she saw who was by her bed

'PAPPA!' she cried joyfully, reaching her arms up to him in a silent plea to be released from her prison.

Laughing lightly, Allen obliged, swinging the little girl around in large circles before enveloping her in a hug and kissing her gently on the forehead

"Good morning, Denka"**(3)** he said cheerily, "How is my little princess today?" Mai giggled and wrapped her arms around her Pappa's neck

"I am happy because you are here" She said smiling "I didn't see you lots and lots a'cause you weren't here Jibo"**(4)** she frowned disapprovingly at Allen "How come you were not here!"

Allen gave an apologetic smile "Papa was working, Mai. I have worked lots of times before haven't I? This is no different. Tell you what though- I'll come see you at break time today alright? I'll take you outside and you can see my friends. Remember Harry? You'd like to see him again wouldn't you?"

Mai's eyes lit up as soon as Harry's name was mentioned and she nodded wholeheartedly.

As Allen passed the Mai over to Madame Pomfrey and made his way down to the dinned hall he wondered if there hadn't been something in what Harry had said after all- a rather scary light had come into that little girls eyes as soon as she heard his name!

**OK, so Dumbledore taught Allen a whole bunch of spells over the summer which is why he knows some that Harry and co. don't learn till later on- these spells are similar to the ones that Hermione casts around the camp-sites in the last book and are just to protect the house and its occupants from harm as well as to send them into an enchanted sleep so that the noise doesn't wake them**

**Just to remind you- Allen has had no training and is only 12 at this stage so three level ones are actually a difficult fight for him**

**Princess**

**Daddy**

**Once again review 1 if I am going too slow, 2 if its OK at this pace :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**777angeloflove- tanx muchly :) I will try to keep their relationship up but I think I may have to sacrifice some cute moments in the interest of moving the story along at a reasonable pace. Please keep me updated on how you think my speed is so I can know when to move it along and when to add some character development :P I know good writers are able to do both at the same time but yea... I'm not quite there yet!**

**Sammi117- sorry :s I know I am quite bad for waffle- just keep nagging at me and I will try to improve my pace ^^ Glad you enjoyed it though**

**Kureru- I miss my book too... it may have been defaced one too many times by by younger siblings and it may have been falling to pieces but it was mine! :'( still, it'll turn up eventually... I hope! Thanks for the review, I wasn't so sure if I was putting him at the right level, but I hope to improve him at a reasonable pace through the story :)**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Hmmm, I like this idea... I may indeed have that at some point- I have a confrontation between Allen and Draco in here so I could tie that in somehow... thanks for the suggestion!**

Harry and Ron joined Allen and Hermione at the Griffindor table both yawning widely.

"Why were you up so early?" Harry asked curiously as he helped himself to sausages from the platter in front of him. Their section of the table was filled with twice as much food from any other section to cater to Allen's enormous apatite. The first time Harry and Ron had seen him eat they had been completely gobsmacked that someone so small could fit so much food in his body. He had told them when they asked that his curse mark devoured much of his bodies power so if he didn't eat large amounts of food, it began to use up his life force. It took them a while to wrap their heads around the idea but soon they just accepted it and had quickly learned the best way to deal with it was just to fill their plates as high as possible before Allen cleared the entire table.

Allen poked his head around the mountain of food piled in front of him and quickly swallowed the three muffins he had crammed into his mouth

"Oh I was just down visiting Mai" Harry's face noticeable paled as he shuddered with the repressed memories of that fateful day. Allen smirked evilly "Yea, I haven't been able to spend much time with her recently so I told her today I'd take her out at break so we can all play with her outside" He quickly ducked back behind his heaped plate before Harry could protest and began to once again shovel his food into his mouth at an alarming rate. Harry groaned and buried his head in his arms, trying not to think about what horrors awaited him

* * *

><p>Allen lent his head against the row of seats behind him, staring up at the azure blue sky with his lids half shut as he waited for Harry and the rest of the team to come out. If he'd had it his way, he would still be sleeping but <em>no<em>- Ron had forced both him and Hermione to come down to the pitch as soon as he had realised Harry was gone from the dorm even though it was only... he glanced at his watch. 7 in the morning. He let out a low moan and flopped back onto the seat behind him. Ron's dedication to his friends was admirable but come on! It was the weekend for crying out loud! Plus he still hadn't caught up on the sleep he had missed due to his night-time escapade. He heard Ron call down to Harry and sat up in his seat to wave down at his friend, teasingly brandishing the basket of food he had brought with him. Harry childishly stuck his tongue out at Allen before mounting his broom and speeding off after George and Fred. Or perhaps Fred and George. He couldn't really tell. He had only just managed to start on his 5th egg roll when the Slytherin team made their way on to the pitch. Allen frowned "I thought Wood had booked the whole pitch out" He mumbled through a mouthful of food

"I think he did" Ron said grimly, pointing to a very irritated Wood who was hurtling through the air towards the sliver and green team "Let's go" He said, vaulting over to the partition between the stands and the field. Allen grabbed his basket of food and exchanged a quick look of exasperation with Hermione before following the red-head as he ran towards the stand-off between the two teams.

Allen watched, vaguely amused at the petty fight that was unfolding before him. He picked through his basket and got about halfway through his bacon roll when

"...you filthy little Mudblood" A shocked silence fell over the company. Allen glanced over at Harry who looked about as confused as he felt

"What..." But Allen got no further, as the entire Gryffindor team exploded into cries of outrage. Allen turned just in time to see Ron pull out his wand but before he could intervene, the red-head yelled out a spell he had never heard of before

Allen glared at the Slytherin team as they all howled with laughter gritting his teeth, he didn't know what that insult had meant but he could make an educated guess. There was no _way_ he was letting them off with insulting Hermione and humiliating Ron.

"_Silencio Maximus"_**(1)**He cried pointing his wand at the team before turning to run after his friends who were headed towards Hagrid's, leaving the Slytherin team standing dumbstruck behind him. Literally.

* * *

><p>Allen and Hermione made their way towards the library together, Ron and Harry having just left for their respective detentions. They were just heading down the corridor when Malfoy passed by, purposely knocking against Allen's shoulder as hard as he could, catching him by surprise and making him fall hard on the ground.<p>

Malfoy sneered down at the boy as Hermione knelt down to help him up

"You'd better watch your back, _freak_. The Slytherin house don't take kindly to people who get too big for their boots"

Allen narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy "I think you must've been sorted into the wrong house then, Malfoy"

The smirk disappeared from Draco's face and was replaced by a scowl

"You'll get yours, you little brat. You and your Mudblood girlfriend" With that he turned on his heel and stalked off down the corridor. Allen opened his mouth to yell after him but Hermione gently placed her hand over his mouth, silencing him.

"Don't rise to it Allen, he's just angry because it took the Slytherin team two hours before they managed to get their teacher to understand what you did to them and to remove the spell. Plus they had to miss their practice for it" She giggled slightly as she held out her hand to Allen, helping him to his feet again

"I know what you did was against the rules and all, but I just wish I could have seen their faces. Where on earth did you learn to do something like that?"

Allen sheepishly rubbed the back of his head "Dumbledore taught me that spell along with a few others over the summer"

The pair continued on their way to the library "So what other spells did he teach you" Hermione asked curiously, tilting her head to one side.

"Oh there were a few different ones" Allen said evasively "The most difficult one to learn though was conjuring up the essence of metal, it took almost the entire summer to learn it" he reached up to catch Timcampy who was circling his head.

"I used it on Timcampy to turn his body gold"

The two students continued on side by side, as Allen explained the spell to Hermione- how it replaced one type of metal with another. He had made a deal with Dumbledore that if he mastered the spell before the new school year, Dumbledore would buy a gold necklace to allow him to replace the majority of Timcampy's body with the gold from the necklace. Both were so engrossed in their conversation that they completely forgot to turn off at the library and ended up almost walking into the wall at the end of the corridor before realising their mistake and having to retrace their steps.

* * *

><p>Allen and Hermione both exited the library a few hours later with books stacked as high as physically possible in their arms. Allen craned his head over the top of his pile so he could see where he was going<p>

"Can we stop off at the hospital wing?" he asked, glancing over at Hermione "We could maybe even grab a bag from there for the books so we don't end up falling flat on our faces" He smiled cheerily at her "Plus I promised Mai I'd read her a bedtime story tonight. If I break my promise, she'll eat me alive"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders, nodding, then her eyes suddenly widened- her movement had unbalanced the pile of books which all at once began to wobble unsteadily before toppling over all at once, causing her to fall to the ground. Allen started forward instinctively to help her which caused his pile of books to unbalance and fall over too. He tripped over his own feet as he tried to catch the books before they hit the ground and he too landed on the ground beside Hermione with a thud.

The two teenagers dissolved into giddy giggles at their ridiculous predicament. Once he finally managed to get his breath back, Allen flipped upright sitting cross legged on the floor and began to re-stack the books into four smaller piles to make it easier to carry.

"So" Allen continued "As I was saying before we so gracefully collapsed on the ground, do you want to come and see Mai with me?"

Hermione smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically "Sure thing. She is such a sweet kid that she makes me almost wish I had some brothers or sisters too" Allen laughed out loud at this "Harry definitely doesn't feel that way" he said jokingly

Hermione chuckled too and picked up her pile of books "Come on, we'd better hurry- it would put a bit of a damper on things if you were to be brutally murdered by your 4 year old adoptive daughter because you turned up late for her bed-time story"

Allen nodded seriously and they both made their way as quickly as possible towards the Hospital wing, jostling each other on their way as they both tried to beat the other to it.

* * *

><p>Harry lay on his back, staring at the roof of his bed. That voice he had heard... there was no <em>way <em>he had imagined it. So why hadn't Lockhart heard it too? And what had it meant? He rolled out of his bed and made his way over to the window. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep now. He sat on the deep, old fashioned windowsill, allowing the gauzy curtain to fall down, shielding him from the view of the rest of the dorms occupants. He leant his forehead against the cold glass, running over and over the events in his head, trying to come up with some explanation for that voice- one that preferably _didn't_ involve a blood thirsty monster. All of a sudden, there was a creaking sound and the dorm door slowly opened. Harry immediately snapped out of his daydream and turned to look at the source of the noise, his heart in his mouth. It was _Allen!_ The young boy tiptoed his way across the floor, avoiding squeaky floorboards with practised ease. He was dressed in the long, baggy shirt he always wore to bed but in his arms, he held what looked like a winter cloak and a black outfit that was most definitely not the voluminous school robes everyone else wore. Allen glanced warily around the dorm; his eyes passing without pause over Harry's hiding place before he eased his trunk open and slipped the bundle of clothes inside it then tiptoed over to his bed and slipped between the closed hangings.

Harry slowly let out the breath he had been holding

What had Allen been doing? And then a much more worrying question, did it have anything to do with that voice he had heard?

* * *

><p>Allen headed down the stairs, balancing three or four baskets of food in his arms and was in the midst of a heated debate with Hermione<p>

"It's _rude_, Allen- you _know_ ghosts can't eat" Allen glowered at her

"If I don't eat, you won't be able to hear one word of Sir Nick's death-day speech because my stomach will drown out every word! That'd be much ruder, trust me" The two bickered amicably between themselves as they made their way down the stairs. Ron gave and irritated huff and turned to face Harry

"I wish those two would stop arguing- it's so nippy!"

The group of teenagers had to stop for a good 5 minutes after this comment to give Harry enough time to recover from his hysterics

"I still don't get what was so funny" Ron huffed as they started their way down the stairs again with Harry trailing behind them, still giggling weakly

Allen shrugged silently as he worked his way through his second basket of food. Hermione just smirked slightly and exchanged a rather sheepish look with Harry.

* * *

><p>The teens all huddled awkwardly together in the corner of the room trying not to think about the fact that they were outnumbered about five to one by the dead.<p>

Allen stood nervously with his back against the wall, desperately hoping that his eye which was twitching rather confusedly wouldn't activate. He reached up his hand and flattened his bangs over it, trying to hide it from his friends who were now having some form of discussion with a rather depressed looking female ghost. He was just considering joining them when a burst of blinding pain shot through his cursed eye, causing him to bite back a cry and clap his hand to his face. He forced himself to lower his arm and concentrated with all his might on suppressing his eye to keep it from activating. Thankfully, his friends were completely distracted by the hoards of ghosts that were streaming in from the walls and causing the violent reaction in his eye. He winced as another wave of pain shot through his head.

"Hey, guys, I have a bit of a headache, I'm going to head back up and see the nurse alright?" His three friends turned around

"Yea, sure" Harry said smiling slightly, "hope you're feeling better for tomorrow- potions first thing remember, don't you dare abandon me to deal with Snape by myself"

Allen nodded and started with surprise when Hermione placed the back of her hand gently against his forehead

"Poor thing, you are burning up!" she cried and Allen silently thanked her for making his story sound more plausible- though it was true, he felt feverish with the strain of holding back his cured eye.

"We won't be far behind you mate" Ron said grimly "I'm not going to stay down here any longer than I need to" He shuddered "It's just too _weird_. Trust you to drag us all into something like this Harry!"

Allen quickly said his goodbyes and turned around, making his way as quickly as he could to the exit without running, one hand over his eye, as if he was hoping that by pressing down on it he could suppress the pain shooting through it.

Harry watched suspiciously as Allen left. He knew that look all too well considering he had gone through the same thing many times. That strained smile, that subtle wince. Allen's curse mark had been hurting him. Harry wondered what was causing the pain- he had though his curse mark was one-of-a-kind, or at least Dumbledore had led him to believe so. Whatever had caused Allen's mark had definitely not been a killing curse like his because he was the only known survivor- so if it wasn't that, what was causing his pain? Everything was getting so confusing- things were going on that Harry didn't understand and it was beginning to frustrate him. He hated not knowing the full truth and he was determined to find out what it was that Allen was hiding, by whatever means were necessary. He _had _to know. He frowned slightly as he turned back to the procession of ghosts. Now all he needed to do was come up with some sort of plan...

* * *

><p>As soon as the dungeon door closed behind him, Allen relaxed and allowed his eye to activate; grimacing in discomfort and pain as it wildly swivelled in its socket, completely independent of its owner's control, searching for some unknown enemy. The eye pierced the thick stone of the wall, showing the ghosts up against the black background. Their souls were much nicer to look at than the Akuma souls, where the Akuma souls were twisted and in pain, these were strangely normal. They looked exactly like the ghosts did in real life, the soul were unchained and rather occupied the same space as the transparent body. The only slight difference was that the souls he saw were more solid looking than their owners. They all had the much more contented expressions on their faces than the Akuma souls he normally saw, as these souls had chosen to remain tied to this world of their own free will and were beholden to no one.<p>

He leaned against the door for a while, regaining his breath and allowing his eye long enough to realise that they were no danger before he deactivated it and staggering his way back up the staircase towards the dormitory. For some strange reason though, even once he exited the dungeons, his eye ached and seemed to want to activate again, the feeling continued to get stronger as he headed up towards the dorm but faded down again to a dull ache once he entered the common room. Allen sat in one of the chairs near the fire and kneaded his head with his fists, trying to ease the pain with no success. He was still seated there when all the Gryffindor's returned from the feast.

As soon as they entered, many ceased their urgent conversation when they saw Allen, sitting in his chair with undisguised suspicion and... fear? on their faces. In confusion, Allen looked around for someone who didn't look about ready to turn tail and run if he spoke to them. He walked nervously up to the Weasly twins who were chatting much more casually than the rest of the students with Lee.

"What, you didn't hear? Mrs Norris has been attacked" one of the twins said when Allen asked what had happened

"Don't know who did it but I'd gladly shake their hand" the other said "That cat was a significant restriction on our fun" Allen however could see by their faces that despite their light-hearted words, they were worried too. He thanked them and headed towards the dorm, pondering over what they had just told him. He was just passing Dean and Seamus when he heard them say, none too quietly

"Yeah, and where was _he_ when this all happened? Didn't see him at the feast did you? He was up here all by himself. If you ask _me_ the teachers would be better questioning _him_ than Harry of all people"

Allen continued on walking as if he hadn't heard but the words hit him like a physical blow, the spiteful words echoing round his head, making him sick to the stomach.

_I wonder how much longer it will be _he though dully _before everyone turns against me just like they did everywhere else. I should have known it was too good to last_

**A/N (1) Yeah- sort of made the spell up- in case you didn't figure it out- though I'm sure most of you did- it is just like 'silencio' only it effects large groups of people. **

**p.s, so sorry for the late update- it has been a busy day- but I gave you guys an extra-long chapter to make up for it... am I forgiven? *puppy eyes* **

**As always, any of you lovely readers who are kind enough to review... please tell me if you think my pace is too slow (1) or ok (2)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Apologies in advance for the terribleness of this chapter- I'm not 100% pleased with it but I'm leaving in like half an hour and wont be home all weekend so I figured you guys would want _something_ rather than nothing. Still feel kind of guilty for uploading it- there are an awful lot of monologue scenes in here- promise I will improve the next one; I will maybe throw in an Akuma battle AND a Mai/ Draco/ Allen battle :3 I know right? I spoil you guys so much :P**

**Necron- nooo silly- it was a _spell_ though the philosopher's stone was linked to the same magic **

**Raycheall Dionzeros- Hopefully a confrontation next chap :) Though Malfoy does already know about Mai- I know I didn't make it very clear but it was announced to the whole school in the assembly Ron and Harry missed that she was staying in the castle**

**777angeloflove- I know. They are meany faces aren't they! :( poor ickle Allen- oh wait... as I am the writer, I am the one torturing him... hmm... aha, my bad!**

**Sammi777- No, I disliked them in the books too though so I may be OCing them slightly to make them worse than they are but with the way they reacted after the papers turned on Harry and Dumbledore in the 6th book made me think they were probably really gullible and judgemental about people... so yea... thanks btw- I think your the only one that thinks this pace is fine!**

Harry and Ron made their way silently up the stairs to the dorm, both completely engrossed in their own thoughts. '_What could have done that to Mrs Norris, and why? What was the purpose of it? Was it a warning? A sign?'_ Harry rubbed his hands over his face and shook his head. It had been too weird a night, he couldn't wait to collapse into his bed and sleep for as long as possible. They entered the pitch black dorm and crept their way to their respective beds. Ron mumbled something like goodnight before collapsing into his four poster and began snoring almost immediately after.

Harry was about to follow his example when a sudden thought struck him. He silently made his way to Allen's bed and stood awkwardly for a few minutes, struggling internally with himself. He was unsure what he was even trying to prove by checking but there was a little bit of him that just wanted reassurance. He knew that he should just trust his friend and that technically his presence in the dorm wouldn't rule him out as a suspect and yet... Harry raised his arm and gripped the curtains around the bed, took a deep breath and pulled them aside. Allen lay fast asleep, sprawled across the mattress his limbs askew in what looked like the most uncomfortable position ever. His face however was peaceful as a young child's with all traces of worry and stress completely absent. Harry let out a small sigh of relief, unsure of why exactly he felt so much better. He was about to drop the curtain shut when he noticed something. The curse mark marring the young boys face had darkened, but more disturbing than that, a dark mark traced its way down his left cheek. It was a blood red tear.**(1)**

Harry sucked in a breath, unsure of what this meant. He wavered indecisively for a moment before dropping the curtain shut again and making his way back towards his own bed, the heavy weight once again settling heavily on his heart

'_What was going on?'_

* * *

><p>The school was talking of little else other than the attack- already there were approximately 20 theories, 5 of which included conspiracies, 12 including some form of evil malignant creature or spirit, 2 blaming Allen and oddly enough 1 theory that Mrs Noris's soul had been sucked out by a makura-gaeshi<strong>(2)<strong> and that the only way to defend yourself from this creature was to carry a vial of sand around your neck. Yeah... despite the fact that people scoffed at this idea, there were a number of students with suspicious looking bulges in the front of their robes and the young girl**(3)** that dreamed up the idea was making a killing selling these small glass jars.

The attitude to which the majority of students were approaching this was odd to say the least- they seemed more than willing to buy all the 'protection' and debate over which theory was most likely but none seemed to actually be taking it too seriously

Hermione was another matter altogether. That girl was scouring the entire school to try and find a copy of her most prized book '_Hogwarts: A History' _The only other person taking it more seriously was Allen it seemed who was now spending an unhealthy amount of time in the library and was somehow managing to outlast even Hermione. The boy was getting paler as the days wore on and he seemed much less energetic than he usually was, even falling asleep in a few of his classes. The whispers from the students which had increased almost exponentially after the attack seemed to be affecting him more than they normally would and although he never retaliated to the digs, Harry could tell that it was upsetting him.

Poor Ginny was distraught by the suspicions being cast on Allen as she had become fairly friendly with him and Mai over the year and was utterly convinced of his innocence despite her terror of the attack. Every time she heard some rumour about him or saw people shunning him, she seemed to well up- an odd expression coming over her face. She in turn clung closer to him when she could as if to prove a point to the rest of the school however they payed little attention and continued to invent theory after theory as to exactly how Allen had petrified the cat.

The internal struggle that Harry was going through was really beginning to grate on him. On the one hand, he was reluctant to believe that this gentle, well mannered boy could ever even be capable of causing anyone any harm and yet, there were the disappearances. Harry had snuck back into the dorm while everyone was down at dinner and had checked Allen's trunk to reveal a completely black outfit, complete with a balaclava and a pair of gloves- He couldn't think of any rational explanation for this and it just seemed like too much of a coincidence that Allen had been absent on both of the occasions when Harry had heard the weird voice. Plus there was the additional factor that he was very vague about the circumstances in which he had received his mark. Last of all, there were those which gloves which he always wore everywhere- Harry wasn't even sure that he took them off to sleep- his shirt was that long that you couldn't even tell. Allen had just told them that it was part of his curse but Harry needed to know _how_ and he needed to know _now.__**(**_**4**_**)**_

Hermione was being completely unreasonable about the whole thing and absolutely forbade Harry from investigating him anymore until they had ruled Malfoy out as a suspect. She seemed furious that they were even considering him as a suspect

'_Did you even _listen _to Professor Binns? Salazar Slytherin's heir- Allen is in _Gryffindor _for crying out loud! How could he even be against half-bloods or mudbloods considering he doesn't even know his own parentage and Mai is muggle born?'_

Part of Harry recognised the logic of what she was saying but there was still that niggling feeling of doubt- Allen clearly had something to hide and whatever it was, he was determined to find it out. Besides, he was in Gryffindor and the sorting hat had considered putting him into Slytherin... who was to say the same thing hadn't happened to Allen. He couldn't be the only one surely...

* * *

><p>The cold wind blew through Allen's hair, whipping it back and forward across his face as he sat on the edge of the balcony outside the owlry, one leg dangling over the edge, the other folded beneath his body. He took a deep breath of the fresh air and closed his eyes, pondering over recent events. A dark force was growing within the castle. He could feel it as well as see its effect. Students were more subdued than usual and had taken to walking about in large groups. An increasing number of students were avoiding both him and Harry, they seemed to have come to the conclusion that as Harry had been the first to see find the petrified cat he must therefore be responsible for its current state. To a certain extent, Allen understood it- they were frightened and looking for someone to blame. What he didn't understand however was why Harry had started to avoid him also. He had become much more reserved than usual around Allen and his eyes seemed to become more guarded every time he saw him, it made no sense. He had just become used to the other students avoiding him, as his odd appearance set him apart anyway, it was only natural that they would begin to blame him for the strange things that had begun to happen but as for Harry, he had really thought he had finally found someone who could look beyond the white hair and scar. He let out long sigh and hugged his knees to his chest, resting his head on top of them. He closed his eyes, it was a good thing he was used to being alone, he had just begun to spend more of his free time with Mai or with Hermione in the library but deep down he missed the immature conversations and childish games he, Harry and Ron had played together. He had spent so long being mature beyond his years and it had felt good to be able to let go.<p>

As for the strange incident with the cat, it had seemingly been an isolated incident but was none the less disturbing for it. He couldn't help but wonder if Harry knew more than he was telling too- it was just a hunch but he had a feeling that something was being held back from him. He felt a pressure on his head and he reached up his hand to pet Timcampy, who seemed to realise that his young master was upset about something. The golem nuzzled against the young boys hand, nibbling gently at one of his fingers. Allen rubbed his thumb against the creature, smiling gently at it. The strain of keeping secrets from his friends was also playing on his mind. He knew there was no way he would be allowed to tell them the full truth, for if the ministry ever heard about his night time adventures they would land on both him and Dumbledore like a tonne of bricks. Still, he guessed it was no surprise that Harry was so untrusting **(pretty sure that's not a word)** of him, considering all the half truths he was telling them. He wondered for a moment if Harry could perhaps suspect something- maybe that was why he was being so secretive. Still, there was nothing he could do about it if it was true. Whatever he may suspect, there was no way that he would actually know the truth as Dumbledore had made the force field specifically so that only he could exit it.

He crossed his legs beneath him and rested his head on his hands, allowing his eyes to roam over the vast landscape before him, and letting his mind to wonder over less weighty things, his thoughts flitting from one thing to the next with no real purpose behind them.

* * *

><p>Allen stared, eyes glazed at the front of the classroom as Lockhart demonstrated his 'wonderful defeat of the werewolf' for what seemed like the 50th time. With a grunt of annoyance, he pulled a book out of his schoolbag and began to quietly practice some charm work using the book like a shield as he levitated a glass bead to a couple of centimetres off the desk. Once there, he started to mutter spells, manipulating its size and colour while keeping it at the same height.<p>

Hermione rested her head on her hands, tilting her head to watch Allen instead of concentrating on the potions lesson she had been trying to memorise. He really was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for, what he was doing now was actually a pretty advanced technique. In fact, she was pretty sure than maintaining two spells at once was part of the OWL examination process. The fact that he had managed to cover an entire years worth of work in one summer was amazing enough, that he had managed to learn even more advanced spells on top of that was even more brilliant.

Hermione let out a little huff of irritation. She hated that Ron and Harry had become so suspicious of him. Boys were so childish sometimes- instead of just asking him about his disappearances or talking to him about his curse, they chose instead to keep their suspicions to themselves. She was sure that Allen had noticed how distant the two boys had become towards him but he hadn't said anything about it. She just hoped that this investigation they were going to do would pay off and that it would turn out that Draco was behind the attack after all so everything could return to normal. She wished more than anything that she could tell Allen about the plan, he was really quite talented at potions and he would be a great help but Harry and Ron had stubbornly refused to allow her to tell him. After arguing with them for some time, she had conceded defeat, relying on the results of the investigation to prove Allen's innocence.

Still she was actually curious herself about his disappearances and why he had joined school a year late. There were a lot of things she didn't know about Allen and he was quite talented at talking a lot but saying very little. Still- he was her friend and she trusted him completely. Whatever his secret was, whatever it was he was hiding, it was not worth this unpleasantness. She wished there was some way she could convince Allen to just trust them but she knew from experience that things were never that simple. Especially not with boys- irritating idiots that they were.

A smash startled her out of her reviver- Allen had finally lost control of the glass bead and it had shattered across the desk, scattering multi-coloured shards across the desk and floor. He flushed bright red and glanced nervously up at the teacher who thankfully was so engrossed in his dramatic defeat of Harry aka the werewolf that he was oblivious to everything else. Hermione smiled at Allen as he gave her a rather sheepish look. She swept her wand in an arc, gathering up all the shards of glass into a bundle before vanishing them. She sent a rather smug grin towards Allen and tried to ignore the heaviness of her heart. She hated hiding things from her friends.

* * *

><p>Allen swung his bag up onto his back and headed out of the room. He was just about to thank Hermione for clearing up the glass when he noticed that she was standing at the front of the classroom with Harry and Ron. He paused momentarily at the door before continuing out to the corridor.<p>

Allen was in the middle of searching for another book on magical creatures when he heard his friends' voices. He curiously poked his head around the bookshelf and saw the three heading with the head librarian towards the restricted section and returning with a rather menacing looking tome. Allen peered at the title as they passed '_Moste Potente Potions' _What on earth were they doing with a book with such a sinister title. They must've gotten Lockhart to sign for it somehow- not that that would be too difficult to do, that man was a complete imbecile. Still, that was a strange book for them to get out- he wondered if they were still trying to get to the bottom of this mystery. Though how on earth a potions book would help them he had no idea.

He had been searching for some time through the library in the hopes of coming across some clue as to what could have paralysed the cat. So far he had come across a few different types of plants which could conceivably have some sort of similar effect, however, they were all very rare and none were native to Britain. There was no way then that anyone in the school would have been able to get a hold of them. This had convinced him to move his focus onto magical creatures. He was fairly certain that whoever was behind the attack must be a resident of the castle. The writing on the wall was proof enough for that, plus the deliberate targeting of Mrs Norris. As for who was to blame, he had no idea. There were far too many students in the school to investigate them all and he was unsure how any student would be able to get a hold of or for that matter, control such a dangerous creature- if it even existed.

He knew that Harry, Ron and Hermione suspected Draco and to be honest, he suspected him slightly too. The boys family connections and wealth gave him access to things others would be unable to get a hold of but still... why would he do such a thing? Sure the guy was unlikeable, obnoxious and spoilt however to actually attack a defenceless creature unprovoked- it seemed unlikely.

But if not Malfoy, who then?

Something in Allen's gut was telling him that whoever was behind this, it wasn't a student.

**1- For those of you who have seen/read man, this happens to Allen's eye remember when it gets all restless and wants him to hunt more Akuma... hinthinthint :D**

**2- Well... this is a Japanese mythical creature and although stealing souls isn't really what it is renowned for (stealing pillows was actually it's sole purpose in life apparently- seiously) I decided that in the world I've created, it steals souls**

**3- This is Luna btw, if anyone is curious. The makura-gaeshi don't really exist in the wizarding world but you know Luna...**

**4- this isn't really an important point but just to mention, this is actually quite in character for Harry if you think about it- he really has a habit of being overly curious about everything and needs to know everything about everyone. I do not like this characteristic of his :/**

**Apologies again for this fail of a chapter :( I promise it'll improve :S**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N ok, I failed again. Wrote this with the idea of making up for last weeks fiasco but I didn't manage to get an Akuma battle or anything in- though there is significantly more Mai... which is something I guess? I'm sorry- this time of the year is just insane with exams and stuff. I'm going to update this now and if I have any spare time today after revision I will try to get you guys another chapter with all the stuff I promised i.e. Mai and Malfoy throwndown + Battle written and updated at the end of the day or tomorrow coz I feel really bad about being so mean to you all :( **

**777angeloflove- I know right? He is a proper meany face. He gets a little better in this chap**

**sammi117- Thanks so much :) I just think I need to improve my writing so it's a better mix of soliloquise and action :P Thanks for the ego boost though ^^**

**Raychaell Diozeros- Patience, grasshopper. All in good time :P**

Allen craned his neck as he tried to see over the heads of the 3rd years in front of him, wishing that the Quidditch players would move the game higher up so he could see properly. Mai was completely oblivious to his situation as she bounced excitedly up and down on his shoulders- she had absolutely no idea what was going on but she knew that whatever it was, it was exciting and highly amusing. For some reason her pet (although he had refused to be her pet, she had decided to refer to him as such until he accepted it) was flying through the air on some stick or other being chased by a flying bouncy-ball. Why she had no idea but whatever the reason for it was, it made amusing viewing.

Allen growled in irritation, why was everyone in this stupid school abnormally tall? He was about to give up and just resign himself to staring at the backs of the other students when he noticed a change in the attitude of the crowd. The Gryffindors' were all gasping and flinching in unison while the Slytherins' jeered and cat-called from the other end of the stadium. Allen reached the end of his tether and in desperation, climbed up on his seat to see Harry rocketing around the arena at breakneck speed, a bludger hurtling after him. He suddenly went into a dive- flying upside down to pass under the bludger however it just changed courses as soon as he evaded it and began pursuit again. Mai seemed to realise at this point that her pet was not playing and stopped laughing

"Jibo, what's happening?" She asked, fear creeping into her voice but before Allen could reply, Harry swiped at the snitch and paused a fraction of a second too long, resulting in the bludger finally connecting with its prey and introducing it to the stark reality of gravity with an almost smug air of achievement.

Allen whipped his wand out with speed brought on by desperation as Harry fell towards the ground

"Aresto Momentum!"

* * *

><p>Harry's brain barely had time to prepare him for the fact that he was hurtling uncontrollably towards the unforgiving ground before it realised that his swift descent had been halted merely centimetres above the muddy pitch. He caught a glimpse of Allen standing, his wand out stretched, heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd with a look of shock on his face just before his mind, overloaded with pain, shock and confusion decided a reboot was in order and he blacked out<p>

* * *

><p><em>interlude where Gilderoy, Colin etc, etc happen...cbb writing it out :P (love you guys really...)<em>

* * *

><p>Ron sat cross-legged on the bottom of Harry's bed.<p>

"... so Dumbledore knows who is behind the attacks" he said, looking questioningly up at Harry

"I don't know, it sure sounded like it but if he knew who was behind it why didn't he stop them"

Ron shrugged "Maybe he doesn't know yet how the petrification works and is waiting to figure it out before he catches the culprit"

Harry hummed indecisively "maybe. It doesn't seem very likely though"

For a while the two discussed the strange behaviour of Dobby, both coming to the conclusion that unless the odd creature stopped trying to save Harry's life, he was probably going to end up killing him.

"You know though" Harry said, he head ducked as he studied his hands "I think maybe Hermione was right. I mean, Allen saved my life and... you know... he is friends with me and Hermione even though neither of us are pure blood, in fact now that I think about it, I think you are the only pure blood friend he has"

Ron nodded with almost visible relief- he had disliked the tension that had developed between the two boys recently but his first loyalty was to Harry so he had backed him despite his reservations

"I'm with you there mate. Draco must've inherited the monster or whatever from his darling daddy- his family are loaded as well so that'd explain the whole Dobby thing. Does this mean we can get Allen to help with the pollyjuice potion? He is so much better at potions than me and to be honest I wouldn't mind some help, I'm getting sick of Hermione correcting my every little action"

Harry frowned as he pondered the problem. There was something huge going on here, the situation had all of a sudden become so much more serious. Whereas before people had been able to pretty much ignore the attack because, well, it was just a cat Colin Creevy's attack had struck the danger home. Now not only was there a psychopathic creature loose on the school but it was also targeting students. In addition most of the students of the school were linked to muggles somewhere in their blood-line, none but the Slytherins' felt safe from the monster. The Pure bloods were currently exuding-as impossible as it had seemed- more arrogance than ever before and there had even been a few incidents of sanguism. **(1)**

Harry shook his head "I don't think he has anything to do with this but we'd better be safe than sorry. He is definitely up to something dodgy, otherwise what is he doing disappearing randomly in the middle of the night?"

* * *

><p>Allen slowly peeled his gurdy-root out of boredom ensuring that it was even the whole way round before proceeding to cut it into perfectly even slices. If it wasn't for the giant bat of a teacher, potions would easily be the most enjoyable subject he had- it just confused him how people struggled with it. If you put the correct ingredients in at the right time, it worked and if you didn't it failed. Seemed simple enough to him, you just followed instructions which were even provided for you. He tipped the roots into the potion and stirred it 3 times anti-clockwise as the instructions told him to and smiled as it turned a brilliant periwinkle blue. He paused to let it simmer and glanced around the class who were all at least 5 steps behind him, even Hermione, who looked much more frazzled than she usually did.<p>

Neville was almost 10 steps behind and was leaving his potion to simmer as he tried to decipher the instructions which was turning the liquid syrupy. Allen waited till Snape had turned his back to lecture Dean on the correct way to de-juice a puffer fish's eye before slipping over to Neville's potion and furiously stirring it clockwise, then anti-clockwise to loosen the mixture up again giving the round faced boy a wink and quickly dicing up his St. John's wart then adding it to the mixture before quickly running back to his own potion to sprinkle in some crushed horned-toad spikes.

Draco was once again being an irritating idiot and was finding great amusement in flicking his extra puffer eyes at Harry and the rest of the group. Allen glared at him but knew there was no way Snape would even consider telling him off for it because after all, if you had money and prestige why should you be expected to act like a civil human being?

He turned back to his station trying to suppress his irritation as he chopped up his spare gurdyroot neatly and evenly to give Neville when he reached that stage. If.

Snape began to sneer at Harry for his potion's consistency and- feeling slightly guilty for taking advantage of his friends bad luck- Allen ran back across to Neville's potion and handed over the perfectly cut roots and began to quickly whisper in his ear, guiding him through the instructions patiently. He was just about to duck his way back across to his own cauldron again when

"SIR! Allen is helping Neville, isn't that cheating?" Draco smugly pointed across the classroom at Allen who had frozen mid-lecture as he pointed at the pile of mistletoe berries that needed to be crushed.

Snape turned to face the two, his face almost gleeful. Allen and Neville both gulped simultaneously. This did _not_ bode well for either of them.

* * *

><p>Harry let out a sigh of relief as Snape turned his back on him and proceeded to humiliate and lecture Neville and Allen in turn. He quickly dug the firework out of his bag and lit it, lobbing it vindictively into Goyle's potion. Just as Snape started to get into the swing of his lecture, the potion exploded with immense force showering the entire class but to Harry's great relief (though, if truth be told, slight disappointment), missing Snape.<p>

The class dissolved into chaos as the Slytherins who had been nearest the potion began to swell up and freak out. The Gryffindors, who had mostly been outside the blast area were creasing themselves with laughter and even Allen was having a hard time trying to look sympathetic as Malfoy tripped over his own feet due to the weight of his swollen head and landed flat on his face. Harry caught his eye over the heads of the class and his self-restraint crumbled as he dissolved into hysterical laughter along with the rest of the class

* * *

><p>Allen waved goodbye to Hagrid as he made his way slowly back up to the castle, Mai perched on his shoulders tugging his hair as she 'steered' him left and right across the path. Allen stretched his arms out at either side of him and began to make plane noises amusing Mai to no end.<p>

Hagrid had become a sort of surrogate grandfather for Mai, having fallen completely and utterly for the little girl. He took great pleasure in showing her through the grounds of Hogwarts and taking her with him on his safer game keeping duties, allowing her to see the bowtruckles when the first budded from the trees and the new litter of crup's that he was caring for in his hut till they were old enough to go to a good wizarding home. She in turn drank up all these strange and wonderful sights with immense delight and followed him around more than willingly asking question after question which he was more than happy to answer. They struck a very funny picture as they wondered through the grounds, the giant man striding through the thickets with the tiny Japanese girl perched on his shoulder or trotting along in his footsteps, chattering non-stop along the way.

The two reached the castle eventually and Allen let Mai down off his shoulders and she ran ahead of him through the doors. Laughing at her boundless energy, Allen ran in after her but when he entered the great hall, he saw to his surprise that Draco was standing there with his usual entourage of Crabbe and Goyle plus a few others that Allen didn't recognise. Allen frowned slightly, he had thought for sure that Draco would have gone home for Christmas but here he was.

Feeling slightly nervous, Allen kept walking, hoping that they would just let him past but no

"Where do you think _you're_ going you freak? We told you you'd get your own didn't we?" The group flanked him and he all of a sudden remembered who the others were- they were some of the Quidditch team who he had silenced after they insulted Hermione

"I don't want any trouble" He said calmly "Just let me past"

Draco shoved Allen hard against the wall and hissed "I know it was you that exploded Goyle's potion in Snape's class. Did you really think I'd let you off with that?"

Before Allen could shut himself up he said

"Tch, as if I would need to do anything to Goyle's potion to make it do that- the boy is so thick he wouldn't know the difference between a unicorn's horn and scarab eyes. He probably forgot to light the fire beneath his cauldron. As for you- did you even get hit by the potion?- your head is so swollen normally, I didn't even notice a difference"

There was a stunned silence

Allen was just a shocked as the Slytherins and he clapped his hand over his own mouth, his eyes wide. What. On. EARTH. Had he done that for?

* * *

><p><strong>(1) From the Latin word for 'blood'... basically like racism but wizard style ;)<strong>

**Apologies again... hope the immensely irritating cliffhanger made up for the lack of substance *hopeful look* imma go now and study politics... Kthanksbye^^**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N Thank you all for being so lovely 3 nicest reviewers ever :P I know the last chapter wasn't my best and it didn't have everything I promised in it so here is you bonus chapter- Mai bashing and Akuma fighting complete!**

**DISCLAIMER- This chapter covers extremes of emotions ranging from hilarious to depressing (soz about that)**

**kirimoto- Yea, he resurfaces in this chapter too- I dunno, I sort of like him!**

**Necron- ta muchly! And I know, it was mean... hence this bonus chappy!**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- was it? It wasn't intentional any way... my sub conscious must've been at work :P You'll need to tell me if you remember what movie it was from! All shall be revieled**

**777angeloflove- He does seem to get blamed for most things doesn't he? Poor Allen-kun!**

**Sammi117- One showdown cumin' right up ^^ hope you enjoy...**

Allen was freaking out. No, that was an understatement, he was _beyond_ freaking out. He was petrified. The stunned silence didn't last nearly as long as he had hoped it would.

"_WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" _Allen gulped but before he could begin back-tracking, Malfoy grabbed him by the neck and slammed him up against the wall

"You are going to pay for that you, little ghoul" Draco snarled as we raised his wand, pressing it against Allen's cheek "I've been looking for someone to practice this new jinx on" he said smirking slightly "let's see how you suit purple pustules all over your face shall we? Not that it'd be a bad thing, it'd maybe cover up that hideous scar of yours, hey?"

Allen struggled against Malfoy but the other boys had grabbed his arms and legs, preventing him from moving at all. He snarled and glared Malfoy directly in the eye

"I'll still be better looking than you, you slime-ball"**(A/N mm-mmm, I agree^^)**

'_what am I DOING' _he mentally screamed, _this is NOT A GOOD IDEA- tormenting the person that had you pinned down with no way of escape, way to go Allen, now there's no _way _he's going to let you off with it'_

Draco's smirk disappeared "You asked for it, freak"

He opened his mouth then

"AAAAAAAAAWWWW" he dropped his wand and fell to the floor clutching his leg, screaming in pain

The Slytherin boys let go of Allen in their shock and looked about trying to find the source of Malfoy's pain.

Allen staggered away from the group the second they let go of him, self-preservation kicking in at last. Once out of arm's reach, he glanced back curious about what had caused Malfoy to let go of him so suddenly. Mai was standing a few feet away from the boys, brandishing a... a _mace!_ Allen gaped in complete shock and looked from the spiked weapon to Malfoy. The boy was rolling around on the floor still hugging his leg to his body and howling at the top of his lungs.

"Don't be mean to my Jibo!" Mai yelled at the boy "You're just a stinky face so _THERE" _

Allen shook himself out of his stupor and ran over to Mai who was in danger of overbalancing herself as she shook the spiked weapon at the other boys, lecturing them on the proper way to behave. He scooped her up in his arms and relieved her of the weapon, giving her a quick peck on the cheek so she would know he wasn't angry at her. He pulled his wand out of his pocket with his other arm and held it out at the group of boys

"I won't say anything to the teachers if you don't, OK?"

There was a short silence- the boys all looked at each other then down at Malfoy who was still writhing on the floor. They nodded their heads and Allen gave them a quick smile "Thanks!" he chirped and turned tail, running up the stairs as quickly as possible before they could change their minds.

* * *

><p>Allen rounded the corner of the second corridor before daring to put Mai down and catch his breath<p>

"Where on _earth _did you get a mace Mai?" He gasped, holding the metal weapon as far away from Mai as possible

The little girl shrugged unconcernedly, "one of the metal men**(1)** was holding it but he wasn't using it so I borrowed it" She looked up at Allen, brow furrowed "why- do you think he'll be angry coz I didn't ask?" Allen opened his mouth and shut it again, at a complete loss for what to say

"ah... no, I'm sure the... err... 'metal man' didn't mind just this once but just to be on the safe side, I wouldn't do it again if I were you. He might get annoyed"

Mai nodded solemnly and Allen let out a sigh of relief- Mai was destructive enough on her own, add a mace into the picture and... He shuddered.

Best not to think about it.

* * *

><p>The stars were bright against the velvet sky as Allen swept through the skies silently, Timcampy soaring beside him, keeping pace easily. The two raced through the air, paying no attention to where they were heading. There had been only one alert on Timcampy's system and it had turned out to be a false alarm. Too restless to consider returning back to school, Allen had decided to scout the country side. The Black Order had too few stations to cover everywhere and there were many large areas with no finders staked. Although Allen knew it was impossible to save everyone, he decided that he was going to do all he could.<p>

Hence the scouting.

A small smile graced Allen's lips as he tilted his head back, the bright constellations reflecting in his grey eyes as he took a deep breath of the cool air. For some reason the air always seemed so much clearer and more tangible at night.

He swept over small towns, amusing himself by imagining the lives of all the people in the houses and wondering what they would do if they could see him- a white haired teenager, impossibly suspended in the air being chased by a small golden golf-ball with wings. He chuckled lightly to himself and dipped the broom low over a large loch- he had no idea which one- he was now well and truly lost. He flipped the broom upside down and raised his hand above his head, allowing his fingertips to trail through the inky water as he gazed up at the endless heavens stretched out before him, his other hand firmly grasping the handle of the broom, preventing him from veering off path.

Tim lazily circled his master, unperturbed by the boy's odd behaviour

Allen's eye suddenly activated and he jerked out of his stupor, returning both hands to his broom and righting himself. There were... 2? No, 3 level ones somewhere up ahead.

* * *

><p>Allen pressed his lips together in a grim line as he lent forward on his broom, lying almost flat against it to reach full speed. As he neared the woods he pulled hard on the handle, forcing the broom to soar above the few sparse fir trees that were scattered haphazardly across the desolate moor. This was the last place he had expected to find Akuma, the place looked completely devoid of life. It was hard for Allen to pick out the dull grey creatures against the dark backdrop- the moon having inconveniently hidden behind a cloud, unwilling to behold such abominations. As soon as his eye picked out the souls though the camouflage was useless. He reached up one hand and unclasped his cloak, rolling it up into a ball and stuffing it along with his gloves into the small rucksack that he carried. He tugged it closed with his teeth before hooking it around the broom handle before flinging himself off into the night sky he reached the bulbous creatures.<p>

The wind whipped and whistled viciously past his ears as he plunged through the darkness towards the Akuma, his cursed arm wrapped around his head his other arm tight against his side making him as streamlined as possible. Just before he reached the creatures, he connected his mind with his Innocence and activated it. He curled his body up, fighting to bring himself to a crouch before reaching the creatures. His feet connected solidly with the first Akuma, driving it with immense power towards the ground, just before it crashed, Allen pushed himself off it landing for a moment on the side of the second before using it as a launching pad to reach the third.

Blazing white crosses**(2)** appeared on the two Akuma he had left behind and they exploded one after another. The third had managed to pull itself together by this stage and began to shoot at Allen but he just continued to sprint toward the creature, body almost parallel against the ground as he ducked and dodged the violet cannon balls. He flung himself under one of the blazing balls that flew uncomfortably close over his head, landing hard on the dew soaked grass and skidding under the Akuma- cursed arm raised, cutting deep into its metal body. He flipped back to his feet and staggered away from the creature as quickly as possible before it exploded into flames.

He stood for a few moments his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Once his heart had reached an almost-normal pace he straightened up again and whistled the _dustdevil_ down from where it was hovering, rather dejectedly above the battle-scene. He tugged his rucksack open with his frozen fingers and pulled his gloves and cloak back on before trudging back off through the heath, curious as to why the Akuma had seen fit to come here of all place

* * *

><p>It took a good 5 minutes for Allen to come across a small stone cottage, with a caved in roof. It had clearly been derelict for a long time- the stones were weathered and filthy, the windows pane-less. Allen made his way slowly towards the dilapidated building, for some reason rather frightened of the impenetrable darkness that filled the house, spilling out of the gaping windows and filling the cracks of the brickwork. He ducked in under the low doorway blinking a few times to allow his eyes to adjust before edging further in. He licked his dry lips and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wand<p>

"Lumos" He whispered- his voice abnormally loud in the oppressive silence. A weak beam of light spilled from his wand tip, illuminating the dirt floor, passing over a soot-blackened fireplace with the charred remains of branches coated in white ash spilling over onto the hearth. A bundle of grey blankets lay deserted on the floor and the air in Allen's lungs seemed to freeze, a searing pain shooting through his heart.

It didn't take long to find two piles of ashes, a few feet from the abandoned make-shift bed. The people clearly hadn't managed to get far. Allen let out a long shaky breath as he tried to gather his scattered emotions into some sort of order.

He forced himself to move, stumbling across the floor to the small, white mounds. He knelt down and closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer for whoever they had been, hoping that wherever they were now, they were happier.

Once he had finished, he walked over to the fireplace and picked up a handful of the branches that lay beside the hearth. He closed his eyes again and concentrated hard on all the transfiguration lessons he had ever had before clearing his throat and muttering a stream of spells under his breath causing the wood to mould itself according to his instructions. Once two simple urns had been formed, he released the magic and made his way across again to the piles of white dust that had once been living, breathing people.

Mana. Nalei. He bit down hard on his lip. _Get a grip_ he told himself firmly. Taking a deep breath and stealing himself, he scooped the remains of the two humans into the wooden urns, using magic to pick up the remaining layer of dust before sealing the urns seamlessly shut. He scrunched his eyes tight shut and tried to concentrate just on his breathing

I_n and out, Allen. In and out. Don't think about it, don't think about it. In and out. In and out._

Once he had regained some semblance of control, he carried the urns outside, excavated two holes with magic and buried them, marking each with a simple wooden cross.

He turned his back on the two lonely graves and gazed across the barren landscape, now lit by the rising sun. The rays transformed the dreary heath into a blaze of orange and red. Allen smiled sadly as the warm sunbeams lit up the two small graves.

"rest in peace, strangers" he whispered then turned and trudged back over to where Timcampy was waiting for him, the _dustdevil_ hovering patiently by his side

"Let's go home, Tim" He murmured, wiping the tears from his face

**A/N :'( *sniff sniff* sorry! I depressed myself with that chapter... I suggest reading the first bit again to cheer you up :P nothing like some Malfoy- beating to make you smile!**

**(1)- metal man= suit of armour in Mai-speak **

**(2)- cross grave move! Ah look at my Allen-chan getting all grown up *misty-eyes***

**Hope this made up for the last chapter... even if it was slightly depressing :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Kirimoto- aaaaah! Shoooot! Erm... well in this story he just met him on his travels and the rest of that scenario played out the same way as in the anime. Sorry about that!**

**Sammi117- Thank you! Glad the depression didn't put you off it completely :P**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Thanks yeah that part was fun to write ^^ I quite like Mai too :p If you remember what the quote was from you'll have to tell me. I am quite curious now as to whether it was subconscious because I've seen/ read it before or if I just came up with the same idea as someone else...**

Allen stood in a little huddle with the other three **(A/N- I dislike the term 'golden trio'. Severely.) **as they all watched Snape and Gilderoy battling

"A bag of liquorice wands says Snape gets slaughtered" Ron whispered to Allen out of the corner of his mouth

"Huh, not a chance mate, even I'm not dumb enough to take that bet!" At this, Gilderoy was blasted off his feet to collide solidly with the stone wall of the classroom. Allen winced sympathetically

"And _that_ is why I would run a million miles before crossing wands with that overgrown, greasy..." he shut up quickly before Snape came within earshot.

Allen nervously bit the inside of his cheek. Snape was clearly still sore about the whole potions situation. He had paired Allen off with someone about twice his height and a good three or four times his width- Terence something or other. Deep inside Allen sniggered at the posh name paired with such a brutish boy but refused to allow himself to fall into the trap again of winding up the very person who was likely to flatten him at any minute. Although size was no real help when it came to magic, when low-grade jinxes and hexes were being used, the less... knowledgeable often abandoned their wands in favour of a well-aimed rugby tackle. Plus this boy was a year Allen's senior which did nothing to help his nerves. He licked his dry lips and tried his best to avoid the older boy's eyes which were narrowed intimidating at him. The guy already had the physical and seniority advantage over Allen- he refused to give in to phsyc warfare too.

At the teachers command, Allen bowed low to the Slytherin, back ram-rod strait. He heard the boy snigger and looked up rather confused- the rest of the students it seemed didn't even know how to bow properly and were settling for slight inclinations of the head or a sort of hunch-back pose. He was the only one it appeared who had actually been taught proper manners- though perhaps the culture in Japan had something to do with it but seriously! How difficult was it to do really? Common courtesy he decided was a rare thing in the UK.

The teacher began the countdown and Allen raised his wand to chest height, holding it lightly, almost like a conductor's baton, his wrist bent slightly- poised to shoot. The boy he was duelling however was one of the people who had some time ago decided that he was too superior to be expected to follow the same rules as the 'common folk' and as Lockhart reached "2" he yelled out some spell Allen had never heard before. Thankfully all those night time adventures had honed Allen's reflexes even further than his days in the circus and he managed to contort his body out of the way of the purple jet of light just in time. It hit Justin Finch-Fletchley who was standing behind him, facing Neville. The boy's ears immediately began to sprout copious amounts of hair. Allen whipped his wand up quickly before the Slytherin could pull it back together for another shot and yelled "Locormotis Mortis!"

Unfortunately, the Slytherin was unwilling to accept defeat and even with his legs stuck together, he raised his wand again. Allen swiftly yelled out another binding spell before the boy even had a chance to open his mouth and sent bandages flying toward him where they immediately bound his arms to his side and gagged him rather effectively

Allen let out a sigh of relief "Who would have known those healing spells would actually come in useful in a duel of all things" he said to himself in shock

He didn't exactly get long to recover though before he was hit in the back by a spell that caused his legs to buckle underneath him. He twisted around, expecting another Slytherin to be standing behind him but instead he saw... _Justin? _Neville was standing behind him, his face shocked. Justin was glowering at Allen and said "What do you think you were doing you freak? Hitting me with a spell when I'm not even your partner? What- do you think I don't matter just because..."

He didn't get any further because at this stage, Ron's wand caused a miniature explosion, releasing copious amounts of a foul smelling green smoke

Gilderoy and Snape called the duels to a halt, desperately trying to halt the destruction before the entire class dissolved into utter chaos and spend the next few minutes trying to undo all the damage that the students had caused.

Justin shot Allen another dirty look before snorting and turning sharply on his heel, striding over to his other Hufflepuff friends. Allen watched him go, slightly bemused at his behaviour but he shrugged it off and went to join Harry in wrestling what looked like a female troll off of Hermione who was trapped in a headlock.

* * *

><p>The classroom door thudded shut behind Justin Finch-Fletchey and before he could figure out what had just happened, Ron grabbed Allen and Harry by their arms and dragged them out the doors too. The students parted before them, exchanging meaningful looks and whispers which followed them, growing louder as they neared the door. With a slam, silence all of a sudden fell around them. Allen opened his mouth to ask something but Ron shook his head firmly<p>

"Not now" He muttered before continuing to drag the two boys all the way up to the common room with Hermione hurrying behind them, a confused look on her face.

* * *

><p>Harry wondered down the corridor deep in thought- rather grateful for the snow day. He was too confused and muddled to think about class now. Self-doubt was beginning to nag at him. There was no way to be 100% sure that he wasn't related in some way to Slazar and if he was, did this ability to speak to snakes mean that he had somehow inherited the man's powers? and if so did that mean that... that he would become like him? Like that man who targeted the muggle-borns and despised anyone not 'pure'? Would he too become arrogant and blind to all others but himself? Was there anything he could do about it?<p>

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even pay any attention to where he was going and somehow found himself somewhere around the North Tower part of the castle, lost in the labyrinth of corridors. He wondered around for a while aimlessly before deciding he really should get back to the common room. After a number of wrong turns Harry began to get very frustrated and was about to head into one of the classrooms to try and find a teacher to ask for directions when he saw Allen sitting on a window seat at the bottom of one of the corridors. Harry grinned in delight- he could ask Allen how to get back! He began to run down the corridor but caught himself when he saw who Allen was talking to

* * *

><p>"...I'm not going to tell you what to do OK Nicholas? I just felt I should let you know that if you ever regret your choice or wish to finally make that last journey, I could release you from your ties. Look, don't say anything now, just come and find me if you decide to. The offer will always be open to you and I'm not going to force you to do anything you're not completely sure about. Could you do me a favour though and tell the other ghosts about this? I feel like it is my function here on earth to ensure that no soul is ever trapped here against their will" Allen gave a small smile at Nearly Headless Nick who was studying his hands intensely, avoiding all eye contact . He reached up his cursed arm and laid it gently on the ghosts shoulder<p>

"I will not think any less of you no matter what you choose. I think you are an incredibly brave person you know that? You made a tough choice and I have never heard you complain about it once. You shouldn't feel ashamed of the decision you made"

* * *

><p>Harry watched in complete and utter confusion. Was he, could Allen really be... <em>touching<em> Nick? How on earth was he doing that?

His confusion only grew as he saw Nearly-Headless Nick begin to cry and saw Allen embrace the man- _ghost_- in his arms. From where Harry was sitting, it looked like Allen's left arm was actually touching the ghost. Nicks body had passed through the boy's right arm and shoulder but that left arm- was it possible, could it _really_ be touching him? **(1)**

Harry repressed his impulse to move close enough to hear what was being said and slowly backed out of the corridor, remembering the decision he had made to trust Allen. Yet... he decided to talk to Ron and Hermione about this later. It made no sense. What could he have said that would have upset Nick so much and why had Harry seen a tear running down Allen's cheek too?

* * *

><p>The aftershocks of Justin and Nick's petrification were still reverberating around the school. Harry was beginning to feel incredibly sympathetic towards Allen now- how he had put up with the muttering and rumours and stares all year he couldn't even begin to understand. Although Harry was quite used to being ignored and disliked, he was not used to it being done by people whose opinions actually mattered to him. Hogwarts had been an escape from all the unpleasantness and prejudice he had faced through his life but now he was finding himself back on familiar ground and he was not enjoying the experience one bit. Even the Christmas holidays weren't enough to cheer him up- in fact he thought if it wasn't for the pollyjuice potion, he probably would be well down the path of depression by now. It was no fun to have people avoid you in corridors and sit as far away as possible from you in the classrooms and even the dinner hall. They even refused to make eye-contact with him and if not for Ron, Hermione and Allen, Harry thought he would quite possible have gone mad by now too.<p>

Allen seemed to be struggling as well. People still hadn't crossed him off as a suspect, especially not after his argument with Justin in the duelling club. In fact there were even a few rumours going round that Allen and Harry were working together. Over the past few weeks, Allen had become withdrawn once again. It became normal to see him with dark smudges under his eyes and somehow he had defied all logic by eating even more than he normally did. The house-elves were now producing a good three or four times more food for his section of the table due to the inhumane amount he was now devouring. The boy did however seem to be cheering up now- he had never celebrated Christmas before and Harry secretly thought that the prospect of most of the student body leaving soon was also having a certain amount of influence on his good mood.

_Still_ Harry thought- _it'll all be over soon, once the pollyjuice potion is ready, we will finally be able to get enough evidence against Malfoy and we'll be able to show everyone how wrong they were_. With this happy though, Harry perked up and made his way over to the library to try and prise both Hermione and Allen away from the books for long enough to get dinner together.

**(1)- yeah, so, innocence can touch ghosts :P**

**Apologies for the shortness of the sections and the chunks I missed out- I am just assuming you all know the story well enough to fill in the blanks :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm soooory! It's an entire day late... but guess what! I have excuses! This was exam week and yesterday was my friends 18th- I was planning on publishing it when I got back but we sort of ended up all getting into a huge debate at the restaurant so we didn't get back to 11. Yeah, me and my friends know how to par-tay! (For all you Americans out there, 18 is the legal drinking age, so generally people go a little insane...)**

**Aaaaanyways, here's the chapter- though I realised as I wrote it, it is a little out of season... hope you enjoy anyway!**

**777angeloflove- Here you go :P sorry about the delay though... *embarrassed face***

**kirimoto- Yup, even ghosts need a little love! ^^**

**sammi117- Tu-dah! Don't say I don't spoil you- though unfortunately, there are no maces in this chapter :L**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Ah don't worry about it :P Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**IncredibleIdiosyncrasies-...*glomp* thaaank you so much! Glad you've enjoyed it so far! I really hope you like this chapter too :) Though as I said unfortunately the mace doesn't make a reappearance in this chapter :'(**

Allen woke up with a start, as a jolt of pain flashing through his head before disappearing again. He let out a low growl of irritation and flopped back on his pillows. This was beginning to get on his nerves- it was the fourth time he had been woken by his eye only to have it inform him that in fact he _wasn't _surrounded by half a million Akuma who were about to harvest the souls of his classmates. He maybe could have dealt with it but between that, his scouting sessions and his now almost nightly bad dreams he was lacking significantly in the sleep department and it was really starting to take its toll on him. Combine that with the added annoyance of having almost the entire school blame him for the attacks on two students, a ghost and a cat and you had a very good reason to be grumpy.

He let out another sigh and sat up on his bed peering out the window. The weak rays of sun were beginning to spill over the window sill, bathing a small strip of the dorm in pale golden light. Allen forced himself up- there was no point in trying to go back to sleep now considering he had to be up in a few hours anyway and there was no point in going out scouting again because he'd hardly be able to get out before he needed to turn back. He decided instead to work on his present for Mai. Christmas was only a few weeks away and seeing as he had never been able to celebrate it properly with Mai before, he was determined to make it the best Christmas ever.

A few days ago, he had sent Timcampy out with an order for paints, wood and a few other things to be delivered to a PO box where he had stopped off to pick it up on his way back from one of his trips out of the school. He was combining a bit of magic and a bit of brute force to turn a few lumps of wood into a circus carousel. So far, he had assembled the basic structure and had managed to fix it so that the base spun smoothly on it cylindrical stand.

He settled down contentedly on the floor with the sun warming his back as he slowly painted alternating gold and scarlet spirals up the central cylinder. He had given up after a few disastrous attempts with a hammer and chisel at this stage and had resorted to wand-work to make accurate, evenly spaced grooves in the wood circling round and round the centre pole. He had also used it to create delicate swirls and spirals which hung down from the lip of the roof creating a little border.

Allen let himself relax as he worked his way round the spiral, he wondered if his eye was picking up on his stress levels or if maybe it had some link to the attacks. He had begun he research again and was investigating different creatures that were in some way linked to spirits. This was getting him absolutely nowhere- the closest he had even come to something that would explain the reaction in his eye was a terrifying thing called a 'dementor' which was enough to freak him out significantly but even that was nothing even close to what an Akuma was so it couldn't explain his eyes reaction. He wondered if perhaps the creature was some form of 'evolved' Akuma. He had heard it mentioned a few times when he hacked into the Orders communications- about levels of Akuma. So far he had never met one above level one but he had heard that the higher up the levels you went, the more special skills the Akuma had. Perhaps the monster in the school was just some sort of evolved Akuma that could turn invisible or go through walls or something. If so though, it must've been in the castle for a long time as the previous attack had been a good fifty years ago but Allen figured it hadn't been too long after then that the Earl had gone 'underground' so to speak so perhaps the Akuma was becoming active now due to the Earl gaining power again.

Allen cleaned off his paintbrush and began to paint alternating midnight blue, red and green stripes on the roof, arching them slightly so they were fat at the edge of the roof and grew smaller as they curved to meet at the apex.

He decided to bring his theory to Dumbledore once he had figured out the details. He didn't want to just approach the man with a wild idea- he would need to think about it further and finalise the details before proposing it to the headmaster. Besides, it was perfectly possible that there was no link between his headaches and the monster but it was better to be safe than sorry.

* * *

><p>Allen shook his head in mock disapproval as Fred and George both dived behind his chair, cowering in mock fear as soon as Harry entered the room.<p>

"Shhh, George!" Fred stage whispered "If you breathe too loudly, he'll hear you and set his army of miniature snakes with Severus Snape's hair on you"

"Oh no!" gasped George melodramatically "Not the hair! Anything but the hair!"

They both swooned in dramatic fashion, one hand resting on their foreheads as they crashed to the floor "Grease...overload" George gasped

"Can't... take... the slime any more" Fred moaned

"Just kill us now and save us the pain" They both yelled together

Harry laughed at their antics and flopped down on the sofa opposite Allen

"You guys are mental you know that?" he said, a wide grin spreading across his face

Fred poked his head up over the top of Allen's chair

"You won't be saying that when we are the only ones who survived the Snape-snake apocalypse now will you?" He said cheerily

"Ooh, whatcha doing there Freak-features?" George said, sticking his head up above Fred's, peering down at the wooden block Allen was holding in his hands

"Freak... features?" Allen asked, his eye twitching slightly

"Uh-huh" George said unconcernedly "So, what ya making?"

Allen wavered for a second between sulking at the mean nickname and giving in to the twins contagious grins. The grins won out

"It's a unicorn for Mai's Christmas present" He said, gesturing to the rest of the carousel that was resting on the ground in front of him

"HEY!" He yelled as one of the twins scooped it up from the floor and ran to the other end of the dorm before stopping to investigate it

"What is a '_carousel_' anyway? It looks like a torture devise for unsuspecting creatures" Whichever twin it was snorted, casually sending the toy soaring with a flick of his wrist towards his brother who caught it with equal nonchalance.

Allen blanched and almost fell of his chair "Be careful! That took me AGES to do! A carousel is like a big ride- little kids sit on the wooden animals and then the disk spins and music plays. It used to be Mai's favourite ride. When I worked at caravels or circuses, that was always where she played while I did my job so I made a model of it for her Christmas"

He smiled at the memory before yelling "OI!" as Fred and George both exchanged looks and ran out of the common room up to their dorms yelling behind them as they went "We'll get it back to you in a minute"

Allen chased after them and hammered on the door of their dorm "Give it back you red-headed morons!" he yelled

The door flew open, catching Allen by surprise and before he could gather his wits again, one of the twins grabbed the half- finished unicorn from his hand and said,face deadpan "It's not nice to call people names you know Allen" Before slamming the door shut again.

Allen growled in irritation at the firmly shut door in front of him and childishly stuck his tongue out at it.

"Just get it back to me tomorrow so I can fix whatever damage you do to it and wrap it for Christmas" He yelled at them before stalking back into the common room and flopping gracelessly onto the sofa again ignoring Harry and Ron who were both sniggering uncontrollably at his misfortune

* * *

><p>Allen narrowed his eyes at the carousel, closely scrutinising it. It didn't <em>look<em> much different. The twins had finished the unicorn and added it to the procession of magical creatures- a phoenix, a centaur, a hippogriff and a griffin. It looked... fine, more than fine in fact, because they had cast some sort of spell over it that caused the wood to give off a shimmery silver sheen just like the actual coat of a unicorn. He examined the toy closely from all angels before giving up with a resigned sigh and placing it inside its box, beginning to wrap the gift. If there were any unsuspected surprises hidden in the present, he would just have to wait for Christmas to find out. It was already 11 at night on Christmas Eve and he had no intention of being exhausted for the biggest day of the year. Besides, the twins wouldn't put anything dangerous inside the present would they?

Allen carefully tied the bright red ribbon at the top of the box and sneaked it down to the infirmary to place it under the tree in Mai's room. He silently tip-toed over to the bed where she was sleeping soundly, she had obviously been trying to stay awake to see the presents arriving under the tree and had fallen asleep leaning against the side of her cot, her blankets clutched in her hand half-covering her body. Allen crouched down next to the cot and slowly eased her down onto her mattress and pulled her blankets up around her neck. He brushed her hair out of her face and leaned forward, gently kissed her forehead before sneaking out of the room again. If the twins had done anything to the present, he decided, it would be on their own head. He certainly wouldn't be stepping in to protect them from Mai's rage. He chuckled evilly as he remembered her confrontation with Malfoy. It was a shame he had banned her from using sharp weaponry but he was more than sure that Mai needed no such things to fully meet out her punishment on anyone that annoyed her. Yes, the twins most definitely would be sorry if they had messed with her gift.

* * *

><p>Harry was in the middle of a very pleasant dream in which he had discovered a treacle tart tree in the Hogwarts ground. He had just picked the biggest one and was about to take a huge bite out of the steaming golden crust when he was rudely jerked back into reality by a sudden lack of oxygen in his lungs. The first thing he saw when he woke was a large pair of chocolate brown eyes peering at him. He scrambled around on his desk for his glasses and shoved them on his face to see Mai perched on top of his chest, bouncing up and down excitedly<p>

"C'mon sleepy-face! It's CHRISTMAS!"

Harry mumbled something unintelligibly as he tried to force his brain into gear. Ron, Allen and Hermione were all standing in the dorm looking equally sleepy and ruffled

"What time's it" Harry groaned as he picked the squirming toddler up by the back of her sleep-suit and placed her firmly on the ground before rolling out of his bed

"It is quarter to seven" Madame Pomfrey said crisply "I apologise for taking her up here so early but she has been awake since half past five and I couldn't take any more of her whining"

Mai latched herself onto Harry's leg, singing Christmas carols at the top of her lungs, using nonsense words every time she forgot the proper lyrics. Harry hobbled around the room resignedly to pick up his dressing gown and tied it tightly around his waist. "Best get going then" He said grimly before making his way towards the dorm door, dragging his weighed down leg behind him, his passenger giggling wildly at her new found way of transport. Harry let out a deep sigh. And _this _was exactly why he was never, ever going to have children.

* * *

><p>Mai tore her way through the bundle of gifts that had appeared overnight under her tree, revealing enough sweets and toys to keep her amused for a very, very long time. She worked her way down through the pile to the second-last one which was crudely wrapped in brown wrapping paper "That's from Hagrid" Allen called out to her from the other side of the wrapping-paper mountain that had formed in the middle of the floor. Mai ignored him and tore into the present immediately- who cared who it was from? It was a present and that was all that mattered! She let out a squeal when she got through the paper, revealing a beautiful hand-made doll. It had silver hair that reached its shoulders and big blue buttons for eyes. The cloth body had clear stitches up its side but it was actually very skilfully made and not one piece of stuffing escaped from it as she crushed it to her chest laughing in delight<p>

"Look, Jibo! Its hair is just like yours! Isn't it pretty?"

Allen poked his head up over the mountain to see the doll "It's lovely, Mai. You'll need to remember to say thank-you to Hagrid next time you see him" But Mai had already stopped listening and was tugging the ribbon off the big box that Allen had made her wait till last to open.

Mai let out a cry of joy when she saw the beautifully crafted carousel and ran across the room to tackle hug Allen yelling thanks over and over again in both English and Japanese as her excitement took over her. She stretched up to her tip-toes and kissed her surrogate dad on his cheek before sprinting back over to the toy and excitedly pushing down on the point of the roof, causing the spring inside the centre cylinder to compress and the disk to start spinning.

To Allen's complete surprise and Mai's delight, as the disk started spinning, music began to spill out from the toy and little lights appeared across the carousel. She repeatedly pummelled the button on top, causing the disk to pick up speed. The music grew louder and the lights brighter. The animals on the carousel started to move and light up too, red light streaming from the phoenix, silver from the unicorn and so on. Their legs started to move as if they were running and for every press of the button, they ran faster and faster around the track.

Mai's eyes lit up with joy as she played with her new favourite toy. Allen glanced over the top of her head to see George and Fred both sitting behind her with huge grins on their faces. They gave him a sly wink and stood up to leave giving a casual wave of acknowledgement when he mouthed 'thank you' across the room to them.

Maybe they weren't so bad after all. He twisted around to ask the other three what they thought of this turn of events but they weren't there any more. He shrugged to himself as he made his way over to join Mai with her toys- they must have gone down to make a start on their Christmas dinner. At the thought of food, his stomach immediately began to complain and he decided to join them as soon as possible. He loved holidays that gave reason for the kitchens to out-do even their usual huge spreads of food.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry! I did it again! There was another surprise 18th... (excuses, excuses) sooooooory :P I'm just so popular... (lies) At _this_ 18th I played scrabble with a 8 year old while everyone else watched football and played chess (which I _still_ don't understand...)**

**sammi117- Thank you! Unfortunately there is only a small appearance of Mai here... but it is rather cute :P**

**Akuma Lee Crimson- I know right! I love them to pieces too and I _did_ consider making them prank it in some way but I don't think they'd be mean to a little girl- I mean just look how protective they were of Ginny... plus they are smart enough to realise it's not a good idea to cross Mai. Especially not when she is armed with a mace.**

**Kirimoto- I specialise in the adorkable ^^**

**777angeloflove- Thanks so much :) Hope you enjoy this chapter too (even if it is late)**

**Raychaell Dionzeos- Perhaps ^^ we shall see- though if he does, it'll just be to see them, not to actually meet them. That doesn't fit in with my story quite yet :)**

**Ms. Musiclover- Yea, I must admit I am a bit of a sucker for fluff too as you can probably tell!**

Harry and Ron both sat slouched in their seats, gazing despondently into the fire as it burned down to its last embers. The day could not have gone any worse- not only was their only lead gone, Hermione was now stuck in the Hospital wing for goodness-knows how long as Madame Pomfrey tried to come up with a cure for being a cat. With Hermione not around, the likelihood of them ever solving this mystery was significantly reduced and to top it all off, Madame Pomfrey had looked incredibly incredulous at the story they had cooked up about a potions experiment going wrong.

The two boys were jolted from their revivers by the noise of the portrait hole opening. Allen strode in and glared so furiously in Harry's direction, he actually checked to see if there was some monster standing behind him before realising that the glare was in fact directed at him

"Which of you is going to explain to me exactly why Hermione is stuck in the Hospital wing covered in fur?" the boy hissed, looking pointedly from Harry to Ron

"Well, we were practicing potions for Snape..." Ron began, trailing off as Allen turned his burning gaze in his direction

"The _truth_ please, I'm not stupid you know and I saw you take a potions book out of the restricted section so I know whatever it is you were up to, it had nothing to do with class."

Harry flushed as Allen turned his attention back to him, his gut twisted uncomfortably as his defensive side rose up- it hadn't been _his _fault

"What?" he yelled back, surprised at the forcefulness of his own voice "You been spying on us? Well we're not telling you anything till you tell us where you've been sneaking out to every night. For all we know _you_ could be the one controlling this monster!"

Harry regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth but his pride wouldn't allow him to take them back. There was a defining silence. Allen stood, frozen, a look of intense hurt on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it again, turned on his heel and left without another word.

Harry slumped back down in his seat, his heart thumping loudly, breathing heavily. He glanced over at Ron and caught the boy's reproachful look

"It _wasn't _my fault" he insisted, ignoring the whiny note in his voice and he returned his gaze pointedly to the fire which was now almost burnt out, the cherry red embers fading into grey ashes. He continued to watch it till it burnt out completely, pretending not to notice when Ron silently stood up and left for the dorms without another word

* * *

><p>Allen sat cross-legged in the middle of the nursery, one arm around Mai who was snuggled up in the crook of his arm, half-asleep. In his other hand, he was awkwardly balancing a children's book he had found in the library against his knee as he read the story of 'Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump' for what felt like the fiftieth time. He had just reached the part where the evil muggle was threatening to expose Babbitty as a witch to the king when he noticed Ginny was standing in the doorway. He threw her a quick grin and gestured her over with the book, mouthing 'shh' as he inclined his head towards the dozing toddler. Ginny gave him a weak smile in return and sat down beside him, wearily resting her head on his shoulder- glancing up at him warily, as if to ask for permission. Allen smiled gently down at her and she closed her eyes relaxing against him as he continued to read the story.<p>

Allen closed the book with a soft thud and gently placed it on the ground before him. Ginny stirred from her position with a reluctant moan and massaged her neck, watching with a rather amused expression as Allen slowly tried to shift Mai in his arms so that he could carry her to her cot without dropping her in the process. He stuck his tongue out at her triumphantly when he succeeded in shifting her without waking her up and he quickly made his way across the room and lowered her gingerly into the cot. He made his way back across to Ginny and offered her a hand up

"You alright?" He whispered, peering at her face. She gave a rather forced smile and nodded her head firmly, refusing to meet his eye. Allen huffed and gently tugged her arm

"Let's go for a walk, ok?" He took a hold of her wrist and led her out of the Hospital Wing before she had a chance to protest. Ginny followed Allen rather resignedly as he confindently navigated the corridors of the school

"I may have an absolutely terrible sense of direction, but there are three places that I know my way to off by heart. The Hospital Wing, the Great Hall and here"

They rounded the final twist in a huge spiral staircase and emerged out into the owlry. Allen tugged Ginny over to one of the small balconies used for releasing owls and sat down on one of the marble benches

"I come out here a lot when I want to clear my head" He said, glancing over at Ginny "There's something on your mind isn't there?"

Ginny ducked her head and studies her clasped hands with an urgent intensity. Allen lent back against the stone wall, surveying the night sky as he waited patiently. The silent stretched on for five, ten minutes, then

"What would you do if you had a really close friend but deep down inside, you didn't quite know if you could fully trust them and you thought that they might be mixed up in some bad stuff... and might be trying to involve you in it too..."

"I guess" Allen started hesitantly, disliking his answer before it even left his lips "I guess I'd break off the friendship then, you've got to be able to trust your friends otherwise, it's not really a friendship" That must be how Harry feels, he thought to himself. It's no wonder he accused me and didn't trust me- how can I expect him to believe in me when he has only known me a for a few months and in that time, I've never been completely honest with him. Allen frowned, even if he understood why Harry had acted the way he had, there was still a large part of him that was bitter and rather disappointed that Harry hadn't been able to figure out even from their short friendship that Allen would never even think about hurting anyone

Ginny stood up suddenly, startling Allen out of his reviver

"We'd better get back" she said dully "It's almost curfew time"

Allen nodded absentmindedly and led the way back to the dorms- too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice Ginny's forlorn expression.

* * *

><p>Hermione scowled in irritation, they were at it again! These stupid boys couldn't even manage to cope with her absence for more than a couple days without having a falling out. Allen and Harry were both sitting at opposite sides of the table and were stubbornly refusing to speak to each other. From what she had managed to extract from Ron, she gathered that Harry was angry because Allen had blamed him for turning her temporarily into a cat and Allen was angry at Harry for accusing him of being the heir to the chamber of secrets. She couldn't believe Harry had gone down that track of thinking again- it was just so illogical but he just kept on coming back to his one line of argument '<em>remember, no one ever saw his sorting. In fact, I directly asked Nearly-Headless Nick and he<em> _told me that _Dumbledore _placed him in Gryffindor without consulting the hat. For all we know, he could really be a Slytherin!'_

No matter how many arguments Hermione placed in his way or how many times she pointed out that if _Dumbledore_ didn't know what house a student belonged in- who did? He still insisted that it was a possibility and then returned to what he viewed as the be-all and end-all of the argument '_besides, he still hasn't told us what he is getting up to at nights'_

Eventually Hermione had given up trying to convince him. He would see in time that he was wrong and when it came to that time, _man_ was she going to give him her best I-told-you-so look.

Allen was being equally stubborn and was incredibly irritated that none of them would trust him enough to tell him what it was they had been doing that resulted in Hermione growing fur and a tail but was also adamant that he would not tell them where he went at night. All he would say on the subject, even when Hermione asked was that Dumbledore knew about it and that he had permission from the Headmaster.

It was just completely ridiculous but neither one would listen to reason. Hermione herself was just glad that there had been no more incidents for a good few weeks now and for a blessing like that; she could deal with being the awkward go-between till the two of them sorted themselves out. The entire school seemed to be taking a sigh of relief at the abate in petrifications- even Allen had begun to look a lot less tiered and strained. Hermione secretly thought that he had been affected more by the attacks than he had let on, as when they had been bad, he had often complained of sleeplessness and had been plagued by terrible headaches but now that the coast was seemingly clear he was looking significantly more healthy. Harry too had stopped hearing the strange voice around the school and though Hermione was rather sceptical about the link between the voice and the attacks, she couldn't help but feel that it was definitely a very good sign.

To top it all off, Valentine's Day was coming up and Professor Lockhart had been considerate enough to arrange a big celebration for it. It had been so kind of him to take on the responsibility even with all his teaching commitments- with all the stress and tension that had been building up, it was nice to have an excuse to celebrate. There were even rumours that he was going to arrange for cupids to go from class to class delivering Valentine cards- it was so generous of him. He had also been dropping some very subtle hints about the monster that made Hermione think perhaps he had beaten it and that was why the attacks had stopped. He was so modest that it was possible he had done it and just hadn;t told anyone. She hadn't mentioned this theory to Harry and Ron yet of course- they would just laugh at her. It was obvious they were very envious of Gilderoy, but it wasn't _his_ fault he had been blessed with brains _and_ looks. It must be so difficult for him to have so many people dislike him for his natural talent and yet he always just brushed it off, pretending not to notice the sneers and insults- in fact, she bet that was why most people thought he wasn't as clever as he really was, because he refused to rise to the bait when they made snide comments when in reality, he was just being the better man and taking the moral high ground...

"Hermione!"

Hermione jumped, glancing up at Ron "Huh! Erm, I mean what?"

"C'mon, we have to get to class. You feeling ok? You looked pretty spaced out there?" He peered curiously at her and she flushed bright red

"No! I'm fine, I was just thinking about my Transfiguration essay- I think I made a spelling mistake on the sixth paragraph..." She peeked up at Ron and felt intense relief when she saw his glazed expression- thank goodness he hadn't noticed her lie "Oh well, I'll change it later- let's go" and with that she grabbed her bag and practically sprinted out of the hall before Ron could ask any more questions.

**It's been a while since I've had anything to write down here...**

**I have a new 2nd Harry Potter book now. So yea. That's... good. And annoying. In equal measure :P**

**I never learn though coz I just lent the same friend 'Tales of Beedle the Bard' and 'Eragon' At least if I write that here then I have paper proof of me lending it!**

**Thank you all for being such awesome reviewers as well... just a shoutout to all you lovely readers :P I probably wouldn't still be writing this if it wasn't for you!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N- sorry its late again... I have no real excuse this time, we are enjoying a rare few days of sun here in Scotland so I have been spending as much time as physically possible working on my burn rather than the story... soooory! Still, this chapter _is _longer than the other one, so yeah, forgive me?**

**sammi117- Yeah, Harry is somewhat of an idiot isn't he sigh :P Glad you enjoyed it!**

**Kirimoto- Perhaps... I wasn't really thinking of it till I wrote that bit and now I am considering it... not yet anyway, but maybe in the future. They would be quite cute!**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- There is a Black Order mention here! But as for meeting them, not for a good bit yet I don't think... I will let you know though and try to involve them more in the story. Almost definitely no Cross though- I don't think I will have any of the generals in here though I'm not 100% decided yet**

**777angeloflove- I figured that would be sort of how she was thinking considering she had such an obvious crush on him in the book and that was the only way I could explain the delusion. For being so smart, she is rather stupid :P**

Allen strolled down the corridor, ignoring all the weird looks he was getting from the students. Mai was perched quite happily on his shoulders and was munching on a giant box of love-heart shaped chocolate which Allen suspected had been sent by Hagrid **(1)**- she also had a Valentine's card from a 'secret admirer' but Allen was almost 100% certain it was from the twins considering the song it played when you opened it went

'_Your beauty is beyond compare_

_You're eyes are sparkling stars_

_The envy of girls every where_

_It's a wonder, with a dad like yours!'_**(2)**

The tune was irritatingly cheery and repetitive plus unfortunately, Mai loved it and kept the card open so that the song played on an endless loop resulting in Allen developing a slight headache and many mental plans of exactly how he was going to torture the twins until they told him how to shut the stupid thing up. They had been visiting the kitchens as Allen had wanted to spend that special meal with Mai but hadn't wanted to be in the hall, what with all the animosity he was facing at the moment. As it had turned out, the elves had been thrilled with his seemingly endless appetite and had been more than happy to produce bucket after bucketful of food for him. They had been delighted with Mai as well having had no opportunity to meet her before. It turned out that elves had a bit of a knack when it came to small children and seemed to be less... nervous? with them. Their subservient attitude reduced around her as they went to any lengths to make her smile and laugh- performing tricks for her entertainment and whipping up these impossibly tasty, rainbow cupcakes.**(3)** Each cupcake had a layer of all the colours of the rainbow and was covered in white icing so you couldn't tell until you had bitten into them. Mai had been absolutely thrilled with it and the elves had more than happily made up half a dozen more and packed then neatly into a box for her to take back to the dorm. Although normally, Allen wouldn't have been so keen on allowing Mai to have that much sugar in her possession at any one time, he had let it slip when he saw the pure delight on her face and the resulting pleasure in the elves as they saw how well their gift had been received. Though he had already started working on a plan to distract her with a trip to Hagrid's so he could try and find a hiding place for them- the very thought of exactly how much disaster the little girl would reap after consuming that amount of sugar was frightening enough to make Allen risk her wrath after she found out her sweet treats had been confiscated.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore gazed unseeingly over his steepled fingers at the spirals of steam rising up from his cup of Chai tea as he pondered over the theory that Allen had presented to him. It was an interesting idea and it definitely made things more than a little complicated. He was utterly convinced of course that Tom was behind the attacks- after all he had been to blame for the first ones despite the ministry's assumptions and he was far too prideful to even think of passing on the knowledge of the chamber of secrets to another. He would view it as an achievement he alone had managed to pull off- committing murder right under Dumbledore's own nose and getting off scot free. To allow another to use its power would not only mean putting trust in another human, which he had never been able to bring himself to do, it would also mean sharing the power which was not something Tom was particularly good at.<p>

Still, this information shone a new light on the whole matter. That the boy's eye was bothering him was worrying, although it was perfectly possible that it was just reacting to all the ghosts and peeves. The young boy had been a true blessing in that area- a good number of ghosts had approached him having regretted or grown weary of their choice to remain chained to this world. He of course had been more than happy to oblige their wished and had freed them all from their bonds, allowing them to make that final journey. It was all of course being kept very hush-hush and all the Hogwarts ghosts were spreading the word with the utmost of discretion. It helped matters of course that the ministry tended to have as little interactions with the ghost community- and with any magical community other than the wizarding one of course- as possible which reduced the chances of them finding out about his skills and whisking him off to the department of mysteries for 'testing'.

Yes, it was definitely better that things were kept quiet, however Dumbledore was beginning to get rather concerned about the amount of stress this secret was putting on Allen. Already he had fought with Harry about it and it was detrimental to all Dumbledore's plans that those two boys got along. He decided that he would have to perhaps nudge them together gently. He knew that their temperaments and personalities complimented each other perfectly however Harry's inquisitive nature and rather hot-headed temperament was getting on the way of things. Perhaps desperate measures were called for...

* * *

><p>Allen and Harry both scowled moodily as they made their way to Gilderoy's office. They had both been assigned detentions- Harry from McGonagall after she had heard about the incident with Malfoy and Allen from Herbology for knocking over a tray of sneezewart and holding up the class for a good 15 minutes while Professor Sprout tried to salvage the remains of the plant. Harry secretly suspected that they were both being asked to report to Lockhart because the teachers were looking for any excuse to get him out of the staff room- none of the staff seeming too keen to listen to his repetitive renditions of his many wonderful and courageous feats. Gilderoy of course was as oblivious as ever to this ill-will towards him and seemed to think that the teachers had handed the detentions over to him in the hopes that he would be able to mould these two young, impressionable boys into his image, though of course not quite as good for who could measure up to such an outstanding standard.<p>

"Well boy's" he said, flashing that famous grin that had won so many awards "Have we been badly behaved again?" Harry and Allen swapped dark looks as they tried with extreme difficulty to refrain from rolling their eyes at his condescending tone and overbearing grin.

"I have a wonderful treat for you today! I know this was supposed to be a punishment, but I think that this method will be much more educational for the both of you" Allen let out a small moan of despair and hung his head

" I know you must be excited but please try not to interrupt me... where was I? Oh yes, I have been asked to submit an auction piece for the SST- that is, the Squibs Support Team, get the poor unfortunates counselling, jobs in the muggle world and so on. I decided what better to submit than a hand-written book of mine! It'll get millions, however I have many demands on my time..."

"I. Cannot_. Believe. _I am actually doing this" Allen growled under his breath as he began to write out the opening chapter of '_Gadding with Ghouls', _trying to copy the sample of Gilderoy's handwriting that he had left them. The professor himself was sitting at the opposite end of the room quite oblivious to the death glares boring into the back of his head as he wrote replies to his most dedicated of fans

"Urgh, I know- can't believe McGonnagle would give me a detention for giving Malfoy a piece of his own medicine and then not even bother to take it herself" He scowled angrily at the second chapter he was copying out "Plus this purple ink is the most _vile_ shade in the world. Where does he even buy this stuff?"

Allen shook his head in disgust "I don't know but if I ever find out, I think I will allow Mai to get her hands on a mace again and I will just point her in their direction..." Harry gave Allen a rather confused look "...a... _mace?" _ Allen grinned and proceeded to tell Harry the whole story, dramatically re-enacting Malfoy's reaction after being clubbed on the leg by Mai

"What are you boy's up to?" Professor Lockhart called over as Harry dissolved into gales of laughter

"Oh, I was just showing Harry exactly how you held the ghoul down while allowing its victim to escape sir" Allen said innocently, his expression completely blank

"Erm, yeah, it was _really _amazing sir! You were so brave... still I think we had better get on with copying out your book" Both boys waited for Gilderoy to turn back to his letters before exchanging sly looks and clapping their hands over their mouths to try and muffle their sniggers

* * *

><p>Allen didn't even return to the dorm that night. There was an uneasy feeling in his stomach that he couldn't shake. Something was wrong and his arm was itching to fight. He spun some story for Harry about seeing Madame Pomfrey about a migraine potion and headed out into the cool night air, broom slung carelessly over his shoulder. He was still wearing his school robes but he didn't want to risk changing and having Harry see him leave or attempt to follow especially not now that they were getting along again. They both had reached an unspoken agreement not to talk about 'that night' both realising that the other was not going to reveille their secrets but both also equally determined not to let it ruin their friendship- at least not yet. He scouted the skies for some time, Timcampy following him, resting every now and again on his shoulder, tracking all the reports coming in to the Order. The night was fairly quiet, although Allen did find two level ones, both thankfully quite far out from the towns and he dispatched of them easily enough.<p>

The sky was just beginning to lighten up again when he decided to turn back and return to the school. He, however, didn't get very far before his eye activated telling him that there were two more level ones a few miles out to the west. Without a second thought, he followed the signal and was just about to abandon his broom mid-air again when Timcampy bit down hard on his hood and yanked him backwards, almost making him fall off his broom. Allen twisted around to look at the golden golem "_what?" _he hissed. Tim opened his mouth in reply and projected a small map onto the sky before Allen, showing the area he was in and three black dots labelled 'black order'. Allen let out a sigh of relief- that had been a close one. He flew low landing the broom a fair bit away from the area, curiosity winning out. He tugged his school robes up over his head to hide his white hair and slowly made his way towards the village. Timcampy perched on his shoulder, hidden from sight by the folds of his robes.

The sounds of voices came floating on the wind and Allen picked up the pace, reaching a full out sprint as he neared the first line of houses. With a sudden burst of speed, he bounded up onto the low wall outside one of the houses and leapt lightly from the wall to the garden shed and from there to the house of the roof. From that vantage point, he watched the battle that was unfolding before him.

One of the Akuma was trapped in this strange rainbow, almost iridescent colour. The other was flying towards two men who were crouched on the ground holding the strange device from which the light was coming. Before it could reach them however, a young girl dropped out of the sky seemingly, with a cry. Allen's jaw dropped as he saw her, the light of the just-rising sun hit her as she fell toward the Akuma, one leg extended almost ballerina- like before her. The golden rays of the sun glinted off her dark green hair and reflected in her dark eyes. Allen had just enough time to note the blank, almost sad expression on her face before her leg descended with a resounding thud on the Akuma, driving it with extreme force towards the ground. Before it had even exploded, she flipped almost lazily in the air- completely defying every law of physics and shot off towards the trapped Akuma, breaking the barrier with ease and destroying it before it had a chance to retaliate. She landed elegantly on the ground before the two men who were holding the odd lantern-like box that had trapped the Akuma and began to talk to them- their voices too low for Allen to pick up. He watched them silently until they turned around and walked off towards one of the houses. He then slid down off the roof and returned to where he had left his broom, taking extra precautions and casting a disillusionment charm over himself and the broom before leaving. He wondered about the strange girl- she can't have been more than a few years older than him. Her sad expression lingered with him. She had looked almost dead behind those dark eyes- no spark of life or hope, just darkness. He wondered about her past as he sped through the skies towards the castle he now thought of as home and reflected on how lucky he was to have been saved from joining the order by Dumbledore. Although life at the castle was far from perfect, it was as close as he had ever come in his life and despite all its failings, he was happy and content there, he felt safe and protected- even cared for which was an odd feeling after all these years. If only there was some way to take the exorcists from the Order and put them under Dumbledore's control- although Allen knew it was impossible he wished for nothing more than to be able to make that sad girl smile again and see the joy of this world as well as the sorrow.

**(1)- just pointing out for any of you who think this is weird- its not supposed to be! It's just I remember my granddad used to always buy me and my sisters valentine's cards when we were wee so I thought it'd be the sort of think Hagrid would do for Mai...**

**(2)- I know I suck at rhyming and poetry and stuff... sorry :P**

**(3)- These genuinely exist! It is pretty much my goal in life to find an excuse to make them- my little brother and sisters 11th is coming up soon, methinks this is a good excuse for rainbow cake!**


	21. Chapter 21

… **yeah, about last week... erm... oops?**

**Kirimoto- Well, if you invent some way to transport cake through the computer sure! If not, I shall just send you yummy yummy pictures of the delicious cake to torment you! :D**

**sammi117- Thank you so much- and appologies again for the wait...**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- All shall be revealed ^^**

**777angeloflove- I am not decided yet- I don't think so. At the moment, I'm thinking LenaleexLavi and AllenxGinny or Luna. Luna being my prefference by a hair. I'm going to re-iterate my warning though. There will be absolutely _no_ R-rated scenes in this. I think I'm going to stick to J.K's idea and just have hints and vague fluff. Nothing more. Remember, they are all still like 14/15. I want any relationship they _do_ form to be meaningful and I'm sorry to all who believe otherwise but at 15 you don't even know who you are so exactly how you find your love I don't know. Oooh that was a bit ranty wasn't it? Soz. Summary- there will be much plot and little romance :)**

**Disclainer- This chapter has no Allen or Harry _or_ Mai in it whatsoever. It is entierly Black Order development... enjoy ^^**

Lenalee followed the two finders as they led her towards the area in the forest that had been causing the strange weather phenomena that had alerted them to the presence of innocence. She felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck and twisted around, scrutinising the grey stone buildings behind her but there was nothing there. She really needed to stop being so jumpy- it was unprofessional. Dismissing it from her mind, she turned back again to the forest in search of the fragment of innocence.

* * *

><p>The rain streamed down in rivers from the formidable Black Order building which had oh-so-very conveniently been situated on the peak of a sea cliff. Lenalee picked her way warily across the rocks, now slick with rainwater gripping the silver case containing the innocence so tightly she could no longer even feel her fingers, which had turned pure white. Her pace picked up steadily as she got closer and closer to the building till she was half running towards safety. The doors opened before she even reached them and her brother stood, arms outstretched toward her, his white outfit standing stark and bright against the gloomy black building. Without even checking her pace, Lenalee flew strait into his arms, clinging to him as tightly as possible, her face buried in his jacket as she breathed in that familiar scent and let her body relax at last. It had been her first solo mission since she and her brother had been assigned to the Black Order and she had never been so long without him since... that time. Komui placed a kiss on the top of her head and gently unravelled her arms from around him, leading her by the hand back into the order to place the innocence in Hevlaska's presence.<p>

Lvellie had sent her and her brother to the UK reluctantly. He needed troops for the attack on the Earl however, there was something happening in this area that was bothering him- there had been a number of strange incidents and recently, Akuma had also begun to disappear with no trace. No innocence had been stolen thus far to their knowledge but Lvellie was not exactly ecstatic at the idea of an unknown presence-perhaps a rogue exorcist- running loose. It was he that should be ordering and controlling all the power of the innocence which was partially why he was so determined that he should be the first to get a hold of the heart if-no _when-_ it was found. After a great deal of consideration, he had come to a compromise. He decided to send the four youngest exorcists he owned out to investigate the situation. That way they would be kept out of the real battles until they were skilled enough to be of any use. They would also perhaps lure this mysterious soldier out and could even be used as bait for whatever the malevolent force was that was so shadowing the land, rearing its ugly head and retreating before it could be pinned down. If they could disturb it enough, it would likely strike at them allowing the more experienced and better soldiers to learn of its powers and attacks. Their sacrifice would pave the way to victory and- Lvellie hoped- somewhere along the way Komui would be gotten rid of too. Although the man was a great scientist and incredibly useful to the order, he was not as loyal as Lvellie would like. His infernal obsession with treating all humans as equals rather than recognising their separate roles on earth made him untrustworthy.

* * *

><p>Lavi twisted and turned in the uncomfortable train seats, eventually settling with his head hanging over the lip of the seat and his legs hooked over the top of the back rest, holding him in place. The order had managed to commandeer an entire carriage for their use and he was determined to make full use of it- already having had several games of 'the floor is lava' before bookman had roundhouse- kicked him and forbad him from jumping around anymore. Tilting his head further back so he could see his grandfathers face, Lavi grinned winsomely at the old man who was scowling in irritation at his childish antics. Lavi couldn't help but chuckle- he looked so funny upside down. Bookman began to develop a tick as his grandson sniggered away from his ridiculous position<p>

"I hope this isn't going to be what you are like for the rest of this identity, young man. Remember, I am only allowing you to have this identity with your own personality because I am hoping that it means this one will last longer than the rest and once this battle is over you will have gotten your head strait again so you can truly fulfil your role as bookman and successfully hold deep cover for long periods of time" He glowered at the boy who was still grinning, though not quite as brightly as before

"Don't worry about a thing pops, I have this all under control" He winked, although the effect of this gesture was somewhat lessened by the eye-patch "I am going to make the most of having my own identity though, it is gonna be fun to be able to truly act as I wish _oof" _The breath rushed out of his lungs as his grandfather sucker-punched him in the stomach (again).

Bookman put his face right up next to Lavi's, his expression serious and his eyes flashing with contained anger "Don't you even _dare_ let your emotions get away with you on this job young man. I am assuming that you are old and wise enough to be entrusted to hold your own identity without becoming... emotionally compromised. You let me down on this and all our training will have been for naught. I will have no option but to disown you. _Do you understand me?"_ Lavi's expression became serious "Of course Granddad. I won't let you down"

Bookman settled back down on his seat and closed his eyes "Good. Now shut up and let me rest"

Lavi huffed and let his head flop back down, gazing at the ceiling. The old panda was over reacting as usual- there was no _chance_ that he was going to let his emotions get the better of him. Humans were monsters, they fought and killed and performed atrocities that were unthinkable. There was never any one side that was truly good or truly evil; in fact in most cases even the ideals being fought for were not truly good or evil. Men changed history to make it seems as if there had been one right side and one wrong side- brushing truths under the carpet when convenient to make it seem clear cut- that was where the bookmen came in. It was they that recorded all the murder and pillaging that followed the supposedly 'good' side and recorded all the grace and mercy found in the 'bad' side. They existed to remind the humans that there was no such thing as a truly good and a truly evil person. Those realms were reserved for God and the Devil alone and although some humans rose higher or sunk lower than most- they never attained that status. The bookmen proved that time and time again by exposing the hidden evil in the good soldier and the unexpected good that often occurred from the actions of an evil person. As if, after all the recording he had done, he could ever form an attachment to a human being- they were all self-centred and self-serving, capable of the most heinous of crimes when pushed. That didn't mean that he wasn't going to enjoy himself however, he had a whole vault of suppressed childishness after his many, many identities when he was younger that forbad him from acting out and he couldn't _wait_ to let it all out.

* * *

><p>Kanda blocked out all outside information, concentrating solely on his breathing, relaxing each and every muscle with great difficulty. He slowly began to empty his mind of all thoughts and distractions one by one as he started his daily meditation exercise that had been prescribed by an Order shrink after he had had several violent outbreaks. In his defence, all the people he had attacked had most definitely been asking for it, however, the Order were under the strange impression that his tendency to solve all problems with Mugen was an issue and demanded that he find a way to control his temper. Hence the meditation.<p>

_Clink, clink_

He took in another deep breath. Block out all the outside noises. Block them out. Ignore everything but your breaths he told himself firmly, breathe. In and out.

_Clink, clink._

He bit his lip hard then immediately stopped- now he was all tensed up again! Repressing the curse that was on the tip of his tongue, he started again. Slowly, with each breath he began to release the tension again but that _noise! _It just wouldn't _shut up!_ He began to focus again, allowing his senses to take in and register outside influences. It was coming from his left, low down. It was repetitive. Sounded like glass. No, plastic beads. Clinking against each other in a rhythmic pattern. That new finder must be wearing a bracelet and be twisting it round and round their wrist. His hand clenched almost instinctively on the hilt of Mugen and he had lifted it a good few inches before he forced his hand down again. What was it he had been told repeatedly again? Something about there being no need for violence when words could solve the problem. All the finders were- with good reason- terrified of him. If he told the newbie to stop, she would. There was no need to resort to such- _clink. _He snapped. There was a sudden smash as Mugen sliced through the bracelet with such speed that the whole thing shot through the window of the carriage, smashing the glass and disappearing off into the landscape rushing past them. Kanda let a small smirk of satisfaction form before balancing Mugen once again on his knee completely ignoring the shocked expressions on all the finders' faces as he re-started his meditation. Where was he again? Oh yeah. Breathe in and out. In and out. Let the stress flow from your body and all anxieties leave you...


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N I'm going to apologize again strait off (I have been doing an awful lot of apologizing lately :P) I know a lot of you really want there to be a BO/Allen face-off or meeting but I'm afraid to inform you that that (I love being able to use that that in a grammatically correct context :3) is not going to happen for quite some time yet, unless I decide to change the plot somewhat. Don't worry, it _will_ happen but it can't really yet. Dumbledore explains why. It wont be till at least after the ending of second year. Sorry about that :) Also I should add here, I am going away on holiday very soon and my summer is fairly packed so I may not always be able to get a hold of a laptop therefore my updates may be even more sporadic than they normally are :S forgive me?**

**sammi117- Yeah, I quite liked it myself- that's just what I imagine goes on in Kanda's brain. I think the main reason he resorts to communicating in 'tch's' is because if he really said aloud what he thought, the order would appoint him a full-time therapist!**

**777angeloflove- Don't worry, I'm sure Mai will protect him...**

**Akuma Lee Crimson- Thank you :) And yup, that scene is definitely going to be fun to write when I get round to it! I'm sure Mai will make quite an impression :P**

**TheDeathAssistant4- Thank you so much! I know a lot of people really hate OC's but I felt I really needed her- I mean I couldn't have Cross Marion because I was going to make Dumbledore his mentor so I had to figure out another way to snap him out of the depression he got into after Mana's death and that was the best solution I could come up with. I mean, I think as soon as you start to write your own dialogue for a character, you are technically making them an OC anyway because you are putting your own twist on their personality so really I think that OC's are perfectly OK as long as the writer is able to make them realistic. I didn't really plan to put her in the story as much as I have but everyone seemed to really like her so she is playing a fairly big role. Yeah, I definitely plan on writing many more Allen and Mai scenes. They are so much fun to write :P**

**Oh bye the bye, I think I accidentaly deleted one of my reviews but I never saw who it was from so sorry whoever it was- love you really! *Tacklehugs it all better* ^^**

"You did _what" _Dumbledore said, standing up suddenly from his desk which was stacked high with papers and books all marked here and there with coloured pens and sticky notes in a chaotic order which only made sense to the headmaster. He manoeuvred his way round the teetering piles of documents with surprising ease and stood directly in front of the young boy

Allen looked at the older man in confusion, unsure of what it was he had said that would cause such a dramatic reaction "ah, I felt the presence of two Akuma so I went to check it out?" He half asked, looking to his guardian for some clue as to what it was he was so concerned about

Dumbledore sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose "You came into contact with the Black Order and came dangerously close to being caught. I think you are forgetting the terms of your contract, young man. I gave you very strict orders about the Black Order. You are to _stay away _from them. Do I make myself clear?"

"But" Allen started

"No!" Dumbledore said firmly before Allen could finish his sentence. The young boy fell silent, slightly taken aback by the anger in Dumbledore's voice- he had never seen him so worked up before, used to him always being cool, calm and collected

"It is crucial that you understand this Allen- you are to have _no_ contact with the Black Order. None. That means no more blind scouting missions. I can't believe you would be so careless as to go on them in the first place, it leaves too much chance of being spotted by the enemy. I didn't think I would ever have remind you of exactly how dangerous it would be if the ministry became aware of the Black Order or vice versa. The resulting conflict would be disastrous for both the order and the magical community. I will remind you that I am putting my neck on the line for you here. Due to these attacks, the ministry is scrutinising me much more closely than before. I am taking a huge risk by allowing you to leave this castle at all and I would expect you to award my trust with mature and responsible behaviour. Do not let me down like this again"

After this, he turned on his heel and returned to his desk shuffling through some more papers and writing down a few notes on a piece of parchment. A few seconds later, he raised his head, noticing that Allen was still standing before him. He flicked his quill towards the door.

"You are dismissed" He said shortly before returning to his paperwork.

Allen turned to leave. It was odd- many people had insulted and hurt him throughout the years; said the cruellest things and attacked him in every way possible but never before in his life had he felt so... small and belittled. There were many good logical arguments that he could have made for his actions and for continuing to go on scouting missions; namely that they were the most effective way of tracking down Akuma as the only other way he could obtain information was through tapping into the Order's communications and they were not concerned with tracking Akuma, only innocence- and yet, every argument had melted away when Dumbledore had began his tirade and he had become so tongue twisted that he could not have formed a cohesive argument even if he had tried. Allen clenched his fist as he walked down the corridor to the Gryffindor common room. He hated being made to feel so foolish and weak when all he had been trying to do was save peoples souls. He had to restrain himself from slamming the dorm door in a fit of petty anger as he finally reached his dormitory and he flopped moodily onto his bed, crossing his legs beneath him and resting his head on his fists, glaring at the hangings in front of him, trying (and failing) to get a grip on the anger coursing through his veins. Suddenly, without any warning, white-hot pain shot through his eye. Allen clapped his hands to his curse mark and opened his mouth in a silent scream. He fell to the floor with a thud, clutching his face and doing his utmost to keep himself from crying out loud as the pain grew more and more intense. Just as suddenly as it came, it vanished, leaving him weak and panting on the floor- small whimpers escaping him as he tried to regain his breath. He felt something grip his arm and it took all his self-restraint not to yell aloud but when the pressure rolled him onto his back, he saw not some terribly powerful monster about to devour him but rather Harry, his face concerned as he looked down at the trembling boy

"What happened to you mate?"

* * *

><p>"I still don't understand why won't you go and tell Dumbledore about his? The way I see it, your scar must be a bit like mine. When I get close to Voldemort- stop <em>whimpering<em> Ron- it really, really hurts. Yours must have sensed the monster from the memory Riddle showed me and reacted to it. I don't suppose the monster could in any way be connected to your dad's death? That would certainly explain a lot"

Allen was sat in the middle of the huge ornate rug in the common room in front of the fire, still shivering almost uncontrollably, a rug wrapped tight around his shoulders. Harry and Ron both sat in front of him, watching the young boy intently. At the mention of his adoptive father, Allen ducked his head his eyes becoming sorrowful as he studied the pattern on the rug with a sudden intense interest

"I guess there may be a connection, though it would be really weird- I though the Earl controlled them all" He muttered under his breath, tugging at the threads of the rug. He raised his head to see Harry and Ron's confused and concerned expressions

"There's no point in telling Dumbledore anything right now" He said more clearly

"Not until we know for sure what is going on. We need to talk to Hagrid- ask him exactly what happened. I don't care what Riddle said, there is no _way_ that Hagrid would be naive enough to keep a pet that killed people" Harry and Ron exchanged incredulous looks

"Have you ever heard about a creature called Norbert" Ron began...

* * *

><p>It was just before the Quidditch match when Harry suddenly let out a yell, making Ron and Hermione jump with fright "The voice!" He cried "I just heard it again- didn't you?" Hermione took off at a sprint towards the library calling behind her to them that she had just figured something out. Allen looked back after her as she rocketed past him on the stairs.<p>

"Where is she off to in such a hurry?" He asked as he joined Harry and Ron, Mai perched cheerily on his shoulders

"I'm not sure" Harry said, nervously eying Mai whose face had lit up as soon as she saw him

"I wanna ride on Harry's shoulders!" She cried, leaning over her papa's head so she was looking him eye to eye "Pleeeeeeeeeeease Jibo?"

Ten minutes of puppy eyes, tantrums and begging later, a rather subdued Harry trudged his way to the Quidditch pitch with a delighted Mai bouncing up and down on his shoulders, giggling wildly. Allen and Ron followed behind him sniggering at their friend's misfortune however; when they arrived at the Quidditch pitch the atmosphere was tense and sombre. Professor McGonagall marched up to them, her face serious

"I have bad news for you all..."

* * *

><p><em>Insert here trip to Hagrid's, the visit of the Minister and Lucius Malfoy plus the clue about the spiders<em>

* * *

><p>The three boys stood outside the dark forest, watching rather despondently as the spiders all marched in an absolutely uniformed line through the trees into the impenetrable darkness within.<p>

"You know, I think Allen was right... there's no way Hagrid had anything to do with this" Ron piped up, rather hopefully, his voice a good few octaves higher than normal

"We can't be sure until we go in. If we are right then Allen's scar will hurt when we get close to the creature and that is how we will be able to tell" Harry said, trying his utmost not to let his fear show

"Come on" Allen said grimly, starting off into the trees "We are wasting precious time. Remember- Hermione and all the other victims are counting on us to solve this. With Dumbledore gone, we are the only ones that can make any difference" He turned on his heel and marched determinedly into the forest without so much as a pause or a backward glance. Harry followed his friend, his face serious- when Dumbledore had been removed from the school, some ministry officials had turned up and Allen had been taken out of class. He hadn't returned all day and after a lot of searching, the two boys had found him in Mai's nursery. Sitting silently on the floor and staring at her empty cot with blank eyes. Turned out that as Dumbledore was her legal guardian and was no longer at the school, the ministry had the power to remove her. They obviously had wanted to avoid a scene and had taken her away to an orphanage somewhere before taking Allen out of his class to tell him. He hadn't even got the chance to say goodbye to her, in fact he wasn't allowed to visit her at all and they refused to tell him where they were keeping her or to allow him to contact her in any way. According to them, he had no rights over her as- technically- they were not related. From that day on, he had been like a ghost- hardly speaking and he had even begun eating less. The first signs of life had re-ignited the second he had seen the spiders and Harry was sure he was going to stop at nothing to return things to the way they had been.

* * *

><p>There was complete silence between the group of boys as the picked their way gingerly through bushes and briars, keeping their wandlight trained on the procession of spiders as they made their way deeper and deeper into the forest with Fang padding obediently behind them. The trees grew more and more dense as they proceeded until they were hard pressed to make their way through the trunks and bushed that were traversed so easily by the trail of spiders and soon the only light they had to guide them came from their wands- all moonlight blocked by the thick foliage above them. Harry cleared his throat nervously "Remember, we only need to get close enough for Allen to get a good look at the monster so we can see if his scar..." They all jumped in fear as Fang suddenly started to bark wildly at something in the darkness, beyond the wandlight. Ron clutched Harry's arm in a vice like grip and let out a whimper of fear. Allen however, moved in front of the two boys, raising his arms into a fighting position, his face set and determined as he glared into the darkness. A beam of light suddenly burst across the small group and Allen had his wand out and a spell half formed on his lips before Ron caught his arm and cried "It's my car! It's OK" Harry let out a laugh of relief as he walked up to the car, petting the bonnet. The car lent toward him as if it enjoyed the contact. He turned to Ron to laugh at the bizarre incident but the expression his friends face was not one of relief but of fear. Allen and Harry both turned to follow the boy's terrified gaze and the blood drained from their faces as they saw exactly what was terrifying him so much<p>

* * *

><p>Harry desperately tried to keep the giant spider in conversation as he furiously calculated exactly how they were going to get out of this horrible situation alive. He glanced at Allen out of the corner of his eye but the young boy shook his head minutely; this creature- terrifying though it may be- was not the monster they were looking for. Aragog dismissed them and all the surrounding crowds of spiders began to press in on them. The three boys stood back to back as the oppressive wave grew closer and closer to them. Harry wracked his brain for some sort of spell that could take on such a large number of opponents. He had just come to the conclusion that he was just going to have to stun as many of them as possible when two things happened in very quick succession. A huge tongue of flame shot out on his left, from Allen's wand lighting the whole hollow and sending all the spiders on that side screeching for cover. At the same time, the car burst out from the forest, skidding to a halt beside them. Its doors swung open and Harry grabbed Ron and Allen's arms yanking them with him and bundling both of them into the car. He then dived into the back seat and called Fang in before slamming the door shut just as Ron slammed his foot on the accelerator causing them to leap off into the trees away from the spider's hollow. Ron's face was a mask of terror as they sped away from the scene, his mouth was gaping open but not a sound came out of it. Harry and Allen exchanged rather concerned looks but a sudden slam immediately diverted their attention. A large spider dropped onto the back windshield and thumped down on the glass with his pincers "Ron, keep well away from trees on my side please" Allen yelled. Without a seconds hesitation, he then proceeded to wind down the window and lean out of it, his body half out of the car- on foot rested on the edge of the window and the other on the seat. He clung tightly to the headrest of his seat with one hand and clutched his wand in his other hand which he brought out of the car, shooting a stupefying spell at the creature before it could do any more damage. The red light hit the spider and it catapulted off the car, disappearing into the darkness. He then fell back into the car, panting heavily, his chest heaving up and down. Harry lent forward between the seats and silently offered his hand to his friend. Allen smiled grimly and clasped his friend's hand, accepting the help back upright. The car forcibly ejected all its passengers as soon as they entered the school grounds once again and sped off back into the darkness. Allen was bent over double trying to regain his breath<p>

"So we are back to square one again" He growled furiously, punching the ground

"It was a dead end. Again! I can't afford this, I can't afford to waste any more time. I..." He trailed off, ducking his head, his shoulders heaving whether with tears or exhaustion Harry didn't know. Surprisingly, Ron- despite his shaking body and blanched face- was the one to offer comfort. He placed on hand on Allen's shoulder as he knelt down on the grass beside him

"It wasn't a complete dead end, Allen. We now know that Hagrid was innocent. That puts a whole new perspective on this whole thing. Just you wait, we will solve this thing and before you know it, Dumbledore will be back being his usual enigmatic, mental self and Mai will be back traumatising Harry and running mad round this school just like before"

Allen raised his head, giving a half hearted smile to his two friends. He nodded silently, not trusting himself to speak and the three boys made their way together back to the castle, all thanking fates and fortunes that they all their limbs were still intact and attached after their insane adventure.

_**This chapter brought to you by Necron_warrior, Because Mustangforfuhrer is a silly person who forgot to post her lastest chapter, but uploaded it :P**_


	23. Chapter 23

… **So. Hey. Remember those times I apologised when I was one day late in posting this story? Heh, yeah. Not really sure what to do now that I'm, like, 5 weeks late. Grovel? *mustangforfuhrer grovels* SORRY! Would you believe me if I told you I have only been at home for roughly 5 days in those 5 weeks and 3 of those days were pretty much spent either unpacking, repacking or recovering? These holidays have been hectic- in a good way- I pretty much visited the entire UK which was great fun however, my family have a habit of hollidaying strictly in places with no internet connection whatsoever. Plus when you get out of the habit of writing, it is pretty hard to get back into the habit again. Enough excuses. I'm very sorry, here is the next chapter! (After my responses to the reviews- cheers for them btw everyone!)**

**777angeloflove- You shall soon find out! We are so close to the BIG chapter. So excited! Hope it meets up to your expectations. You are more than welcome to crisp me with a flamethrower if it doesn't :P**

**sammi117- I know right? I was pretty much in tears as I wrote that part. Love Mai and Allen together so much. I must be a pretty mean writer to torture my characters so :'( Still, I shall make the reunion fantastic to make up for it :D**

**Akuma Lee Crimson- I shall take that as a compliment? Like you how? As in I am a mean, mean writer who tortures her poor helpless characters and readers alike?**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Sorry about loosing your review :( Hope you like this chapter too and thanks so much for all the lovely things you always say *tacklehugs***

**lynnhunt12- Yeah I have been trying to figure out a way to put in his gambling side without it being too forced... It will come up at some point I promise**

**kirimoto- Heh, although I wouldn't put it past them to set the whole of the forbidden forest on fire, no they did not. Much to Hagrids relief. Where would he hide all his 'misunderstood' creatures if that place was gone**

**PurpleKyuubi- Yeah, apologies for the huge wait. Hope you like this chapter too :)**

Allen sat cross-legged in the middle of the deserted nursery. He was scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment, his ink bottle lying half-empty by his side and a veritable mountain of discarded, crumpled paper surrounding him. He wearily ran his hands over his face unintentionally smearing ink all down his cheek. He had sat down two hours earlier with the idea of getting all his theories down on paper. The plan had been to make things clearer but all he had succeeded in wasting a lot of time and confusing himself even more. He knew the creature was an Akuma but tracking it down was proving to be much more difficult than he thought. His eye had been bugging him much more than usual, keeping him up at night- not allowing him a moments rest apart from the few naps he had managed to take in class, quickly making him significantly less popular with the teachers. Each time it acted up, he got up and tried to figure out where the signal was coming from but had yet to figure anything out for sure. The best explanation he had come up with so far was that this Akuma was possibly the elusive 'level 2' that he often heard the Black Order go on about. Perhaps it was somehow shielding itself from him- that would explain why the signals never intensified when an attack was happening though it didn't really explain why the signals had grown stronger at all, unless the attacks were somehow making the creature more powerful and therefore making it more difficult for it to disguise its presence. Either way, his cursed eye was proving to be pretty useless this time. The best plan of action then was to try and track it down from its attacks however that seemed to be a dead end too- they all were seemingly random. It was however interesting to note that the last time the creature had shown up, one of the students had died and so far this year, there had only been petrifications. Allen's hand froze just a few centimetres above the page as he stared blankly at the wall- he felt as if he was teetering on the edge of a breakthrough but that final connection was slipping elusively through his fingers. **(1)**5O years ago... someone had died. A student. A young girl. There was a sudden crash as the Nursery door flew open and Harry and Ron came hurtling through

"Allen! That girl that died 50 years ago! You don't think..." Harry gasped breathlessly

"Moaning Myrtle" Allen completed his eyes wide, a huge grin spreading over his face.

"C'mon! We gotta go" He cried leaping to his feet and running to the door, grabbing Harry and Ron by the wrists spinning them around

"Let's go catch ourselves a monster!"

Harry and Ron exchanged longsuffering looks before following their friend back out into the corridor where they had abandoned a bemused Gilderoy Lockhart when the idea struck them.**(2)**

* * *

><p><em>Insert McGonagall run-in here<em>

* * *

><p>Allen thanked his lucky stars that Madame Pomfrey was good at keeping her secrets, merely raising an eyebrow at them as Professor McGonagall returned them to the hospital wing mere minutes after they had left. Allen's head was buzzing with this new crucial piece of information as he started trying to piece everything together. This creature was capable of killing- and had done so before but must have done so in a way in which he could not be identified, otherwise this mystery would have been solved long ago when Myrtle's ghost was questioned. The only question that remained to be answered was how then. How did it kill and why did it sometimes fail to kill- what was the link between all the victims that had prevented their attack from being fatal. He stared intently at Hermione's frozen features as the three boys crowded around her bed trying to somehow divine from her what it was that she had seen. She had been so close to discovering... then it hit him, the shock of the breakthrough was so powerful that he physically took a step back, taking a sharp gasp of air. Ron and Harry both looked quizzically at Allen who was gazing wide-eyed into space, a look of utter shock on his face.<p>

"What's wrong?" Harry ventured nervously as his friends dazed expression intensified

"I can't believe I have been so stupid" Allen murmured, still staring into space

"_What?"_ Harry and Ron chorused together

"Harry, every time there is an attack, you hear something no one else can, right?" Allen said, snapping out of his daze

"Yeah" Harry confirmed, still not quite catching on "But what does that..." He trailed off, his eyes widening "Oooooh"

Allen leaned forward and gently worked a scrap of paper out of Hermione's clenched fist

"I've read about this creature myself before" He said eagerly as he showed it to the two boys "When I was researching magical creatures- I got distracted and went down the wrong lane but Hermione must have stuck with it and found the answer and look- she figured out how it's been getting round too!"

He sighed at the bemused expressions on both his friends faces

"Come on! Keep up! He tapped his finger on Hermione's note. We need to head down to the girls bathroom and have a conversation with Myrtle" He leapt to his feet but before he could run for it, Ron grabbed his arm

"Woah there mate, what exactly is your genius plan? We go and take down a deadly, murdering monster on our own? Not a chance. We are going to the teachers to tell them. YOU may wish to confront a murdering snake on your own but I'd rather not die today thanks very much"

Allen rolled his eyes "Fine- lets go"

* * *

><p><em>insert the Ginny revelation here<em>

* * *

><p>There was utter silence in the Gryffindor common room- or to be more accurate, there was a copious amount of noise but the five boys sitting in the middle of the floor looking utterly shell shocked could hear none of it. Their classmates rushed in and out of their rooms, sending owls, packing and moving purely for the sake of having some excuse not to sit down with the silent boys. It was Ron who finally broke the silence after the twins had left, muttering something about a walk<p>

"We need to go see Lockhart. Tell him"

Harry and Allen both nodded silently, and the three of them strode out of the common room oblivious to the looks of pity and worry that the other students shot their way. Moving seemed to jolt Allen's brain back into action and the fog that had descended on him when he heard of Ginny's disappearance cleared slightly, allowing him to start processing this new piece of information. It made no sense- why capture but not kill? And why Ginny? She must have known something, something that frightened the monster's master enough to provoke him to kidnapping her. Perhaps she knew his true identity. All of a sudden, the very air inside his lungs seemed to freeze. She had tried to tell him- that day, in the owlry. He had been so wrapped up in his own petty problems that he hadn't even recognised the plea for help. He had ignored her at her time of need and now, it was more than likely that she was dead as a result of his selfishness. He raised his eyes to look at Ron's haggard face, half fearing that he would be able to read the guilt he was certain was written all over his features. Ron however just gave a small smile, his eyes as trusting as ever before turning back to their whimpering coward of a teacher. Allen squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath steeling himself for what was coming. It would be selfish and redundant to tell Ron about his failure now, it would accomplish nothing and only cause more anguish. For now, all that there was to do was to track down this foul creature and destroy both it and its master. If by some miracle he survived that, he would then offer his own life as compensation to Ron and his family. Although he was more than aware that this would in no way heal the hurt they had suffered, nor bring their daughter back but at least they would have comfort in the knowledge that their daughters murderers were no longer breathing. He offered up a silent apology to Mai, pain twisting in his gut like a knife at the thought of her once again alone in the world but at least he had the knowledge that Dumbledore would look after her once he was gone. She deserved better than a murdering scumbag for a father and how could he look her in the eye each morning with the knowledge that his selfishness had cost the life of his friend's sister. He set his jaw firmly, a dangerous gleam coming into his eye. He would stop at nothing to find her body. The least he could do was offer her family the chance to give their one and only daughter a decent burial.

**(1)- Just to make it clear, they didn't make this discovery till now because the outcome of the forest was slightly different due to Allen's presence. Plus I forgot. But mostly because of Allen's presense**

**(2)- And HERE it ties in with the time they convinced Lockhart that he didn't need to shuttle them around from class to class. With me? Wouldn't blame you if you weren't**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N OK, I think I owe you guys an explanation- I had half though of posting it with the last chap but I forgot. A lot of you have been commenting about Allen's- lets be honest- slightly melodromatic guilt trip. I admit I maybe went a bit (just a teeny weeny bit) over the top with that but I do have a little bit of a defence (here I go again with coming up with bad excuses for my writing!) Allen has been living on the streets his whole life, and there you can loose your life if you so much as say something wrong about or look funny at someone, it is therefore likely that he is almost a complete stranger to the idea of forgiveness. I do acknowledge though I did layer it on too thick. I'm not changing it thoug, I'll just learn from my mistakes**

**sammi117- Cheers :D Hope you enjoy this one too. **

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Thanks so much ^^ **

**coronadomontes-****Gracias por su apoyo. Espero que disfruten este capítulo demasiado. Rogamos disculpen a los españoles muy pobres**** XD**

**Oh, Sidenote before you get too excited. This is NOT the battle scene. I know, I am a very cruel author but I have a feeling the battle will take some time to write so here is a taster**

Allen studied the young ghost in front of him, frowning slightly as he mentally went through the list of the ghost he had spoken to about helping them pass on. He couldn't remember ever seeing her or speaking to her before. She seemed to almost relish relating her death to the three youngsters, her eyes lighting up and her voice becoming animated as she related to them her hair-raising encounter with the Slytherin monster. She had probably, he thought, led a horribly dull life and her death had been the first exciting thing to ever happen to her. No wonder she clung to it so tightly, it was the one thing she could boast of and it had come to define who she was. It was rather ironic, that the thing which defied her existence was her death but who was he to judge? If she was contented to exist in this state he certainly was not going to be the one to challenge that. The trio of boys approached the freakish set of sinks in the centre of the bathroom, all wands trained on the whimpering professor. Harry broke off from the group and crouched down in front of the snake shaped tap handles staring intently into their blank stone eyes. Allen kept his wand on the professor who looked like he was either going to puke or faint at any moment and yet, there was something in his shifty eyes that was making Allen nervous. He knew fine well that Lockhart had done none of the daring deeds he had laid claim to but that was not to say that he wasn't dangerous. A low rumble filled the air, echoing round the bathroom as the sink sunk down into the ground, revealing a gaping black hole. The three boys exchanged glances and came to a silent, unanimous decision. As one, they raised their wands to Lockhart's head and forced him down the tunnel first before following him. Allen landed nimbly on the balls of his feet beside the tangled bodies of the others at the foot of the pipe

"I think we are under the lake" Ron said, his face pale but grim as he stood up and brushed himself off

"We had better get moving" Harry said, lighting his wand. Allen and Ron followed suit and soon they were making their way cautiously through the dark tunnel, with Gilderoy in the middle of the group wringing his hands and sweating bucket loads. They rounded a corner and came across the monstrous skin of the snake. Allen's mouth went dry at the sight of it. How on earth were three teenagers and a pitiful excuse for a teacher going to take on such a creature? At least, he thought grimly, that cleared up one mystery. It was without a doubt the master, not the creature that had been activating his eye. That meant... but before he could follow this information to its logical conclusion, Lockhart lunged for Ron's wand and shot of a spell, hitting himself and shaking the passage to its very foundations. Allen reacted almost instinctively, diving sideways and tackling the nearest person to him to the ground out of the reach of the barrage of masonry brought down by the rebounded spell. Unfortunately although he managed to knock Harry out of the way, he didn't quite manage to escape the rock fall and he let out a scream as red hot pain shot through his shoulder. Harry rolled over, coughing as the dust coated his lungs making them burn. He staggered to his feet and half-fell over to where Allen lay face-down on the ground. Harry dropped to the ground next to his friend. A rock lay a few feet away from him, having thankfully just glanced off his right **(1)**shoulder. Allen raised himself up shakily on his good arm choking and coughing on the thick air, his body shuddering as it struggled to support his weight. Harry grabbed him under his good arm and sat his up against the stone wall of the cave

"Are you alright" He yelled, hardly able to hear his own voice through the ringing in his ears. Allen nodded "I'm fine. Fine. Ron!" He cried twisting round to look at the solid wall of rock that now separated them from their friend. Harry made his way over and tried to breakthrough while Allen closed his eyes, gripping his shoulder with his hand, taking deep breaths as he steeled himself for pushing it back into joint. He silently counted down from three in his head and with a sudden jerk, forced the joint back into its socket. He let out another yell of pain as his shoulder protested loudly but once the initial shock died off, it settled down to a dull ache. He opened his eyes again and saw Harry's shocked face

"Did you... what..." He stuttered eyes wide

"It doesn't matter now. I'm fine. Is Ron OK?" Allen said, narrowing his eyes slightly when it looked like Harry would protest

"He's stuck" Harry replied, after recovering from his shock

"Come on then" Allen said, standing up, ignoring the red spots that danced mockingly before his eyes "We have a monster to defeat"

"Are you sure you should be..." He trailed off as Allen fixed another determinedly stubborn glare on him and he raised his hands in surrender

"On your own head be it. Let's go catch ourselves a snake"

The two boys grinned at each other then proceeded down the foreboding passageway, side by side.

* * *

><p>They walked in silence, the echoing sounds of their footsteps filling up the tunnel making them both wince at the noise they were making. Harry shot Allen a surreptitious look as they made their way down the twisting passage. He looked even paler than normal but other than a slightly firmer set to his jaw than normal he didn't look at all like he had just dislocated his shoulder and re-set it himself. Allen turned to look at Harry and he wasn't quick enough to turn away before he was caught<p>

"Isn't it sore" He said after Allen raised a questioning brow

Allen shrugged his good shoulder "Yeah, a bit. I would put a healing spell on it but that would drain my energy as my body would be forced to repear**(sp?)(2)** the damage very quickly. I _could_ put a pain deadening spell on it too but I have a feeling I'm going to need to be on full alert for what's coming up. Besides, a little pain will do me no harm. Goodness knows I deserve it" His voice trailed off at the last part and Harry tilted his head slightly to one side, confused

"What?" He questioned

Allen let out a small sigh and ducked his head "I guess I may as well tell you now. You'll find out anyway. Ginny came to me. A good few weeks ago. She tried to tell me about all this" He waved a hand vaguely in the air "I was so self-involved I didn't even notice. Now she is probably dead and its all my fault" His voice fell to a half whisper as he finished. He bit his lip hard trying to hold back the tears that were dangerously close to spilling over. He didn't deserve to cry- how many deaths did he have to cause before he realised he was too dangerous to be allowed around people. First Mana, now Ginny. He was concentrating on holding back his tears so hard he almost missed Harry's question

"What do you mean 'all this'?" He asked curiously

"Well, she came to me and asked about what you do if you suspect a friend of yours is doing something dangerous. I gather therefore that as she is the only student so far to be kidnapped, not outright killed that this means she had a direct and personal contact with the master of the monster. It couldn't be the monster itself as she can't speak parsletongue. Perhaps they corresponded by letter..." He trailed off looking perplexed

Harry suddenly gasped and grabbed Allen's arm

"I know who the master is! You remember that diary I found that told me about Hagrid?" Allen's eyes widened and he nodded

"That explains everything! She must have been the one that broke into your dorm"

Harry nodded emphatically then scowled to himself

"I can't believe I trusted that lying snivelling snitch!" He growled furiously kicking hard at a lump of rock sending it flying down the tunnel

"Look Allen, this is no more your fault than it is mine or anyone else's. Ginny came to me and Ron too you know and tried to tell us something. We didn't catch on to it either. It is the monster and it's master that is to blame for this whole mess and don't try to tell yourself anything different"

Allen gave his friend a weak smile and nodded his head, not trusting his voice enough to speak. They rounded the next corner and came face to face with an imposing shear wall of black stone into which two snakes had been masterfully carved. The two boys faced each other and exchanged grins

"Here goes nothing!"

**(1)- Just to clarify, this is his normal arm. Couldn't injure the other as he'll be needing it in the next chapter :D Ohhh I am a cruel, taunting author!**

**(2)- Using my Authors licence to make up this rule. Personally I like to think this is how healing magic works (stop reading now if your not interested, this could go on for a while) The spells can only use the body's own resources aka nutrients, building blocks etc and as repearing cells takes up energy in the form of ATP if your curious, it takes a toll on the body. The spell only forces the cells to go through the replication phase faster. I prefer this explanation because it helps me sort out in my head why the magical community don't help heal muggles- because if an injury is severe enough it will kill the person, wizard or human as the spells can only use the body's resources. Therefore, if a muggle gets a fatal injury, the magical healers would be able to do no more than our doctors. In fact the only difference they would make is to the time it took to heal(with the added toll though of complete exhaustion for the patient)**

**rant over :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N Tada! The proper climax chapter. I really hope you all enjoy it, I got into a bit of a run and wrote this almost all in one so there is a distinct possibility that it is not as good as I think it is, but currently, I am fairly pleased with the outcome :). Unfortunately though you may have to wait a bit for the following chapter- I'm away caravanning in the highlands so I will be without internet for a week but I made an extra effort to finish the important chapter before I left so at least I wont be leaving you hanging. Oh and I gained a number of new followers this week which has made me very, very happy! Welcome all and I hope you enjoy the story. Ps, feedback is much appreciated :P**

The imposing stone wall split in two with a resounding crack and slowly swung inward, revealing a huge cavern with a high arched ceiling supported at even intervals by towering pillars, also carved with snakes. Harry started determinedly down between the pillars, breaking into a sprint as soon as he spotted Ginny's innate body lying at the feet of a grim looking stone statue. He grabbed her by the shoulders, gently turning her over and he placed a shaking hand to the side of her neck almost collapsing with relief when he felt the faint throb of a pulse beneath his frozen fingertips. He twisted around, a huge smile lighting up his face

"Allen! She's alive" He cried in delight. Allen was a good few feet away from him, still standing at the entrance to the cavern and Harry could hardly make him out through the gloom

"...Allen?" He repeated nervously.

* * *

><p>(Allan's POV)<p>

The huge doors opened revealing a dimly light chamber. Almost as soon as he stepped over the threshold, he felt it- that presence that had been bugging him, keeping him awake through the nights. It was here. He warily took a few more steps forward and suddenly his eye activated, gears whirring as it honed in on the strangest soul Allen had ever seen. It was so unlike any Akuma he had dealt with previously. It was twisted, yes, but in a different way- as if it had been twisted long before losing its body and becoming tied to earth through magic. Just like the ghosts he had seen before, the soul occupied the same space as the 'body' and similar to the ghosts, it was clearly not being held against its will, however unlike ghosts, there _was _a chain. It extended from the back of the soul to am indistinct spot on the floor in the distance, it did not however seem to be constraining the spirit in any way, extending easily as he moved. There was another much more disturbing link though- a thin stream of gold swirling... energy? was linking the creature and Ginny whose body was now lying limply in Harry's arms. Allen had just taken in this disturbing piece of information when he heard Harry's delighted cry and he felt that tight knot of tension that had gripped him ever since he heard of Ginny's capture dissolve as he felt a rush of relief surge through his body. He knew their time was limited though- the creature was clearly draining Ginny's life force and there was no telling how much time they had before she truly was dead. There was nothing else for it. He was going to have to fight this new form of Akuma and show himself to Harry. Dumbledore could moan and gripe all he wanted about their 'agreement' and 'plan' but there was no way Allen was going to endanger Ginny's life by hiding his power just so that he could continue on at school with his new cushy life. As soon as he made that decision, his arm activated, as if it had just been waiting on that cue. Allen pulled off his white glove and ran forward, rapidly closing the gap between him and his friend

"Harry, get Ginny away from that thing! It's draining her life!" He yelled as he ran.

Harry looked up, confused. His eyes widened as soon as he saw Allen's activated arm, practically popping out of his head

"Wha..." His jaw hung open in utter shock in an expression that would have been comical in any other situation

"No time to explain. I fight creatures like this" He nodded in the direction of the Akuma "My arm's a weapon" Harry looked from Allen to the Akuma then back again and all of a sudden whipped his head back around to look at the creature as if only just registering its presence. He closed his mouth with a snap, a number of unreadable expressions crossing his face before he tightened his jaw and nodded once, in unconditional acceptance. Allen let out a breath he hadn't even realised he was holding and they both turned to face the Akuma who was scowling at Allen as if he was an unwanted guest at a party

"Hold on a second" Harry said slowly as he finally recognised the figure in front of him "Tom? Tom Riddle? What do you mean he's sucking the life out of her? He's... just a memory, right?" He stood up, uncertainly, gripping Ginny under the armpits, clearly torn as to what he should do

Tom glowered at Allen "I am far more than just a memory _Harry Potter _I have waited a long time for this and _no one" _He spat glaring pointedly at Allen as he said this "Is going to get in my way"

Harry straitened up, giving up on lugging Ginny's dead weight anywhere

"How did she get this way?" He questioned, slowly moving his way in front of her body protectively. Allen was glad to see that he was finally recognising the gravity of the situation and he turned to face Tom too, curious as to the answer

"She told me things" He said in an off-hand manner "Opened her soul to me, let me see her innermost thoughts. It wasn't difficult for me to get control of her after that" Allen's eyes widened in comprehension, it had been _Ginny_ painting all those messages- that explained everything

"The foolish child trusted me so much" Riddle continued, his voice scoffing "Didn't catch on for ages- when she did she made a pathetic attempt to get rid of the diary and that was when _you _found it Harry, everything was perfect. You have no idea how long I had waited for the chance to get a hold of you but that little _IMBOCILE _stole me back so I knew that there was only one way I could get a hold of you again" He gestured encompassing to the chamber "And so I set this all up, got the brat to paint her own death message in the wall and here you are" A manic grin stretched across his face. Allen's entire body was shaking with fury. How _dare_ such a foul, twisted thing make light of poor Ginny's situation

"But" Harry looked equally furious, his voice shaking slightly with contained anger "Why me? What could you possibly want with me?"

"Oh come on, surely you aren't this stupid" He looked incredulously at both of the boy's nonplussed expressions. He let out a snort of derision and waved a wand in the air causing the words Tom Marvolo Riddle to reform and become I Am Lord Voldemort

"So tell me Harry, how does a child with no skill whatsoever defeat the greatest wizard ever to have walked this earth?" Allen however hardly registered the heated exchange between Harry and Tom, too shocked by the realisation that Tom Riddle was holding Harry's wand

* * *

><p><em>Sorry, I hate to put this in because I was doing so well with re-writing the script but... Insert here the whole 'mother's protection' 'Help at Hogwarts comes to those who ask' etc stuff here and let's skip to the awesome battle stuff!<em>

* * *

><p>Riddles manic laugh echoed chillingly around the stone chamber "Oh this is <em>rich<em>" He scoffed eyeing the tattered hat lying limply in Harry's arms "I didn't expect too much from that old bat but _this. _How he ever managed to impress me I do not know. Let us see how you fare against the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir and successor to Salazar Slytherin himself with _that_ as your protection" and with that he turned to face the statue and from his mouth came a sinister hiss. Allen readied himself, anxiously eyeing the statue

"Harry- what did he say?" He threw across at his friend nervously, hardly daring to take his eyes off the imposing stone man.

"Shut your mouth you little wretch!" Riddle spat venomously at Allen, gripping Harry's wand tight in his fist as he turned to him, his face twisted in fury "This does not involve you- I want to see Harry alone fight my servant- prove that he is nothing special and that I am triumphant over all. You. Shall. _NOT get in my way"_ Allen barely had enough time to react as Riddle pointed Harry's wand at him, sending a red flash of light straight for him. He flung himself to the side, allowing himself to skid across the damp stone- his momentum carrying him behind one of the huge stone pillars which blocked the next spell, a huge chunk of rock breaking off and spinning off into the darkness. He scrambled to his feet and crouched low, using the pillar as a shield as he tried to plan his next move. He glanced quickly over to Harry who was lying on the ground, his back against the wall his eyes wide and terrified as he looked up at the massive snake rearing before him jaws gaping- an ominous rasping hiss filling up the chamber, bouncing off the stone walls and echoing back on itself many times getting louder and louder. Allen ran out from behind the tower, not caring that he was exposing himself. He had to reach Harry before the snake did however he had hardly gotten further than a few feet before the ground in front of him literally exploded in a shower of stone shrapnel. Allen flung up his arms protecting himself, unable to contain a yell of shock which tore itself from his lips. Riddle chuckled at the sound

"What's wrong, little boy? Did you _really_ think I would just let you go like that? Think you're a match for me? _Me? _Perhaps it is a good thing you came- it has been too long since I held a wand and I think it would be a good lesson for young Harry here- to realise that not only is he incapable of fighting me but that he is also incapable of protecting his friends from me" He threw back his head and let out a chilling laugh, mixing in the air with his pet monsters hiss. Allen scowled and changed directions. He would have to trust Harry to protect himself for the moment

"You talk too much!" He cried, launching himself at Riddle, cursed arm outstretched, taking him by surprise and catching his arm as he twisted out of the way. Riddle's eyes widened with shock as he looked down at his arm, now leaking inky like blood out of a long, thin cut. Allen didn't give him any time to gather himself, pushing back off the ground as soon as he landed, flying toward Tom once again. Tom however reacted faster this time, leaping back so the blow just glanced off his ribs. He let out a sharp gasp, clutching his side with his hand. It was Allen's turn to laugh this time as he faced his shocked enemy

"You know for such an undefeatable enemy, you sure do seem to be able to feel pain like any other" He risked a quick glance in Harry's direction, Riddle's new wariness giving him a little time. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw that Fawks was helping, keeping the snake busy while Harry pulled himself together. Tom unfortunately noticed this too and let out another strangled hiss. Allen had no idea what it was he was saying but he was sure that whatever it was, it wasn't good so he recklessly flung himself at Riddle again "I'm your enemy Riddle" He yelled as he sprinted toward him. Riddle swung around, an ugly grimace on his face. He raised his wand and shot a spell at Allen again, forcing him to veer off course halting his attack

"You are going to regret attacking me, _boy_" He spat, shooting a number of spells in quick succession at Allen, forcing him to retreat and focus on defence. One of the spells glanced off his shoulder, exploding on contact and burning a hole strait through the materiel. Allen yelled as his skin blistered and pulled out his wand- He had hoped to get close enough, quick enough to kill him with his arm but it seemed he had no choice- this was going to be much harder than he thought.

Riddle let out another shout of laughter as he saw Allen ready himself, wand in hand

"Oh surely you're not _serious? _Do you really think you can take me on with that? As if a pathetic little boy like you could ever..."

"Yeah, yeah, you are the most powerful wizard ever to walk to the earth I get it already" Allen interrupted, raising his wand and shooting a stunning spell at Riddle which he easily deflected, retaliating with immense speed, sending a thick stream of a quick-silver like substance toward him. Allen flung himself out of the way, landing clumsily on the ground a few feet away. The liquid hit the space where he had been mere moments ago. The stone floor hissed and bubbled as a huge crater was eaten out of it. Another spell hit him before he even had time to regain his feet and all of a sudden everything was obliterated as pain shot through every nerve in his body and a terrible scream burst from his lips as his entire body contorted uncontrollably. The pain went on for what seemed like years before all of a sudden it stopped. All of his limbs trembled as he weakly pushed himself to his feet, stumbling back, his arms raised defensively.

"Do you understand now boy? Do you now comprehend fully who it is you are dealing with? This is no petty school dual. You may as well give up now. I promise if you do, I will make your end swift and painless" Riddle said, leering unpleasantly at Allen's trembling form

"Allen!" Harry cried- glancing quickly over before turning his full attention back to the huge reptile before him

"Don't worry about me Harry, I'm fine" Allen yelled, his voice shaking slightly. He turned back to Riddle, deliberatly making his movements slow and jerky, wiping his hand across his lip, which he had split when he hit the ground

"My name isn't _boy, _Riddle. It's Allen. And I. Will. Defeat you" He whipped out his wand and yelled "_Stupify" _with all his might. The spell went way wide of the mark and hit one of the pillars a good few feet away from Riddle. He turned to face Allen, one eyebrow raised incredulously

"That was truly pathetic" He sneered but Allen just smiled blithely

"Oh really?" He said innocently. Riddle's eyes widened in panic as he turned around again to see the huge stone pillar toppling towards him. He raised his wand to halt its descent when

"_Expeliarmus" _A jet of red light struck the wand, sending it spinning off into the darkness. Riddle desperately threw himself out of the way of the plummeting column of stone, landing with a thud on the ground. Allen was on him as soon as soon as he fell and he raised his activated arm, forming a clumsy fist despite his claws and punched Riddle in the face with all his might

"That's for Ginny" He yelled, raising his arm again, claws outstretched this time. Riddle reached up and grabbed his elbow and punched him in the stomach with his other arm. The blow was weak however due to his awkward position. Allen twisted his arm out of Riddles grasp but before he could swipe at him again, Riddle sat up, powering his head up into the bottom of Allen's jaw, throwing him off and causing red spots to dance in front of his eyes. He raised himself up and the two boys circled each other, waiting for an opening. Riddle powered forward, trying to tackle Allen to the ground but Allen sidestepped at the last moment and twisted himself around, placing his hand on the back of Riddle's neck and using his own momentum to throw him to the ground before clawing his back, causing him to scream in pain. Riddle twisted around and threw himself explosively off his back onto his feet and circling Allen once again, more warily this time

"You think you can take me?" He snarled "Well think again- Just look" He jerked his head over in Harry's direction. Allen narrowed his eyes slightly at Riddle, trying to figure out if it was a bluff before glancing quickly in his friend's direction. The huge serpent lay motionless in a heap and Allen could only just make out the crumpled figure of Harry, enormously dwarfed by the monster next to him. He returned his gaze to Riddle, warily circling his enemy

"Harry?" He yelled, not moving his gaze "You alright mate?" There was no reply. A bead of cold sweat ran down Allen's face as he continued to circle Riddle, his entire body tense, buzzing as he waited for his next move

"He's been bitten by my basilisk, he'll be dead in just a few moments. You have failed Allen. You will all die here by my hand" He flung himself at Allen again, punching him hard in the gut, driving all the air out of his body. Allen hit the ground, gasping desperately for air however instead of attacking him again, Riddle ran off in the direction that Harry's wand had flown **(1)**. Allen forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain and the cold fist of dread that was cruelly twisting his innards. Forcing himself not to think, he charged at Tom, flying silently along the ground putting an extra sput of speed on as he neared, slashing once again at him with his claws, raking them along his side. The injuries he was causing were a lot less severe than they would be on a normal human but he still managed to draw more inky blood.

"Don't think this is over Tom" He spat as they both wrested back and forward

"I will fight you with everything I have, until my last breath"

Tom punched Allen hard in the ribs, his blow more powerful than any humans and Allen actually heard two of his ribs crack. With a cry of pain, he stumbled back, clutching his side with his right arm, still holding his cursed arm defensively in front of him. He charged again, ducking low under another blow, driving his fist up using all the power from his legs and core, connecting right under the rib cage. Riddle let out a scream of pain as the power of the blow flung him backwards across the floor. Allen too let out a yell of pain as his ribs complained loudly. Gritting his teeth, he staggered forward and resumed what was beginning to feel like a hopeless battle. No matter how many blows he landed, he didn't seem to be doing lethal damage. Any one of the hits he had landed would have killed any other Akuma he had fought but this, this was different. He was beginning to suspect that until the diary was destroyed, there would be no winning this fight. The two boys wrestled back and forward, both landing blows but neither gaining the upper hand as they both tried to drive the fight in opposite directions, Riddle toward the spot where Harry's wand lay and Allen towrd the spot where the diary lay. Riddle punched Allen hard again in his injured ribs causing his grip to loosen. He tried to repeat the move but Allen twisted out of the way, grabbing Riddles arm and threw him over his shoulder, slamming him hard on the ground, driving all the air out of his lungs. Then out of the darkness, Allen heard the most amazing sound in the world

"Allen!" Whatever had happened over the other side of the chamber, Harry was alive. As soon as he head Harry's voice, Riddles face became a twisted mask of fury and he began to fight like a wild animal, wrenching himself out of Allen's grasp and running in Harry's direction. Allen grabbed his legs, tripping him up

"Quick Harry" He yelled as he tried to hold Riddle's flailing form down, receiving a bloody nose for his trouble as he kicked hard against the boys vice like grip

"_The diary! Get the d-"_ Riddle's foot connected solidly with Allen's mouth, effectively shutting him up and causing his grip to slip. Riddle scrambled to his feet and began to all out sprint towards Harry. Allen followed, close on his heels, desperation driving him on

"Wretched Akuma, may your soul be annihilated!" He cried as he collided hard with him, sending him flying, gripping him hard around the neck as Harry plunged the snake's fang deep into the book. Riddles form shuddered and convulsed beneath his grip before his body became completely insubstantial and decapitated into nothing. The two boys remained in their position, bodies trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline

"He... he's gone?" Harry said, his voice sounding too loud in the tense silence. Allen glanced around the chamber, his gaze resting on the slightly smoking diary.

"I think it's over" He said, wonder evident in his tone. Neither one however moved from their positions until Ginny stirred, moaning as she came too. Her eyes grew widened in terror as she took in her surroundings and her eyes filled with tears as she saw Harry and Allen, both looking half-dead

"I tried to tell you, I swear I did but I just couldn't. It was _me_ but I didn't mean it I swear I didn't" The tears spilled down her cheeks and her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Allen crouched down beside her and gently rubbed her back in small soothing circles making comforting sounds. She lent her head against him and began to cry properly as he gently rocked her, enveloping her in his arms protectively. Harry shuffled his feet awkwardly, silently grateful that Allen was dealing with it instead of him- he just seemed to know the right thing to say whereas Ginny crying was making him nearly wish the basilisk was still alive so he would have something else to do other than try not to put his foot in it. Allen murmured a few words in Ginny's ear and she gave him a watery smile, then nodded, getting to her feet, tears gone. Harry did a double take and looked in complete confusion at Allen who just smirked teasingly at him

"What are you waiting for, Harry? Let's go"

**(1) Just a quick side note for anyone who is interested- Voldemort went for his wand for two reasons. A- Killing someone by hand is not exactly the easiest thing in the world to do, especially when you are not used to hand to hand combat and B- Because Voldemort is irrefutably proud of his wizarding abilities- he would only use muggle methods as a last resort :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N- Read this! My A/N will be huge this time (sorry) I'll reply to reviews in order of size so you can skip the end bit if you really want to coz there will be a lot :) I'd appreciate reviewers reading my _second_ last reply though if you don't mind as it applies to you. Here goes!**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Thank you so much :) I'm really glad you enjoyed it!**

**DarkKittehKat- Haha, thank you so much and welcome to the... reviewers? Story? Erm... Welcome to both :) And I will do my utmost to keep writing this don't worry!**

**muffinfluffy- Thank you ^^ I'm happy you like it. Welcome to the reviewers too. P.S. I'm loving the username :D**

From here, I wouldn't mind opinions on what I put in my replies as it is story and plot related. Thanks everyone :D

**Sonnenfrost- Ah, thank you so much. It's great to hear that as I haven't really had any feedback as of yet about it. I just find it a lot better to only put in _my_ parts of the story. I don't want to just repeat the book because not only is it boring for me but its boring for everyone else. I do try to just re-write the most important bits but its not always easy to put an original twist on everything so thanks for the moral boost :D Oh and I will be trying to keep Allen as separate from the order as possible while trying to keep them in the picture. A lot of reviewers really want them to meet soon but I want to keep contact to a minimum if possible :)**

**Inkdawn- Thanks for the feedback :), I will try to keep my updates as regular as possible, my life should be settling down again now so I should be able to get back into routine again. If you (and anyone else) wouldn't mind, could you expand a bit on what you mean. Do you want my chapters to be larger and to contain more character development and non-plot advancing things or do you want them to be longer with more plot because I could do either but the second would probably mean my updates would be less frequent. Oh and welcome to the reviewers too :D**

THIS REVIEW IS PLOT IMPORTANT!

**777angeloflove asked why Allen didn't just destroy the diary and here is why**

**a) Initially, he didn't actually know precisely where and/or what it was that was tying Riddle to the world, bear in mind that this was his first encounter with anything other than ghosts or akuma**

**b)Harry was being attacked by a ginormous snake, at this point, Allen's main concern was to distract Riddle so that he wouldn't i) Attack Harry himself (remember, Allen hasn't read the books so he doesn't know Riddle doesn't try to attack personally) or ii) Egg the snake on further**

**I'm **_**not**_** making Allen one of those irritating heroes that is indestructible. Remember, he is hardly capable at this stage of taking on three level ones let alone Lord Voldemort, even if it is a mere echo of him. This is why even after figuring out the diary thing, he fails to destroy it. Remember he **_**does**_** try to reach it but fails because Riddle is too powerful**

**Allen's innocence is not yet fully synced (hence his failure to pierce Riddle's skin) and this along with a lack of experience is the reason he had such a tough time destroying him. He **_**did**_** manage injury but I am making this battle mirror the level four one- remember, he could inure but not kill them too.**

**Finally though I wish to say that his Innocence CAN and WILL destroy horcruxes ;)**

**Thank you very much by the way angeloflove and inkdawn- It's reviewers like you that keep us writers on our toes :D**

The three weary teens stumbled back along the winding stone tunnel, arms intertwined as they all supported each other. Ginny was in the middle of the two boys leaning her head wearily against Allen's chest as they walked, her eyes shut as she allowed them to lead her. Allen gave Ginny a little shake as they neared the wall of fallen rocks which now had a sizable hole burrowed out of the side. A huge grin spread across Allen's face as he saw the heartfelt reunion of the two siblings, both of them embracing through the wall of stone, neither willing to let go so the other could climb through. He couldn't suppress though the bitter pang that shot through his heart as he thought of little Mai still on her own, unreachable. Tears pricked his eyes but he just clenched his fist hard, digging his nails into his hand and forced them back. He was not going to allow his selfishness to ruin this moment. Ron and Ginny eventually let go long enough for her to climb through and Allen started toward the gap but before he could reach it, Harry laid a hand on his shoulder

"I won't say anything to them alright? It is your story to tell whenever you feel ready"

Allen opened his mouth and realised that he had no idea what to say so he just nodded and hoped that Harry understood how grateful he was

"And don't worry alright, now that this is sorted, Mai will be back before you know it" He gave Allen's shoulder a quick squeeze and then followed Ginny through the hole. Allen took a deep breath to steady himself before following. By now he had reached that stage of physical and emotional exhaustion that everything just felt fuzzy and vague- like he was watching some old vcr tape. He wasn't even aware of his movements and was functioning completely on autopilot until a fiery drink burned its way down his throat sharpening everything and dragging him roughly back into consciousness again. He was sitting in some teacher's office or other, Harry on his other side and Dumbledore in front of him

"Welcome back" He said, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips

"Now that you have re-joined us, I believe an account of exactly what happened in that chamber is required" He leaned back in his seat and steapled his fingers, gazing intently at both the boys, his eyes piercing as ever

"Please try not to leave anything out. As soon as you are done, I shall get Madame Pomfrey to give you a once over- I know she is desperate to get her hands on you both- and then after that, a feast"

Allen sat bolt upright in his seat

"A feast?" He cried his face lighting up. Dumbledore chuckled

"Report first, then you may eat as much as you like"

Allen launched into the events ever since Dumbledore left, talking quickly but clearly and business like. Harry filled in some of the gaps and added his encounter with the basilisk to the story. Once both of the boys had finished, a comfortable silence fell over the group until it was broken by Allen's growling stomach. He threw Dumbledore a pleading look and the headmaster laughed again

"Off you go then, to Madame Pomfrey first though" Allen was out of his seat as soon as the words had left his lips. Harry rose to follow him but Dumbledore raised his hand

"I am afraid I must detain you a little longer Harry, though I will allow you strait to the feast when we are done- Fawk's tear will have healed all your injuries so you need not go to the hospital wing. Harry shot Allen a smug look at this and Allen retaliated by childishly sticking out his tongue before he left and the door shut with a snap.

Dumbledore leant back in his chair and sighed

"I think it is now I who must offer an explanation. I am referring of course to the secret which Allen and I have kept from you throughout the year. It was at my request that he held his peace and therefore it is my responsibility to clear things up for you" He pored himself a glass of the same crimson liquid he had given to Allen before and took a large gulp before launching into his speech, sounding significantly more like a Professor lecturing a class of students than a man revealing a grave secret

"There are many magical substances throughout this world, Harry. Natural things such as unicorn horns or- perhaps a more fitting example- Mandrake root. We wizards know about a few of these substances and use them often to make man-made things, such as the antidote to petrification, or a potion to prolong life. Many of these substances can conduct magical energy and these are used as the cores for our wands. Substances like dragon horn, unicorn tail or" He gestured toward Harry's own wand "Phoenix tail feathers. Allen's arm is... possessed, perhaps is the best word for it, by a magical substance which most refer to as 'Innocence' and it is this which gives his arm that deformed appearance and also gives him the powers you saw today. He and a select group of others posses the ability to use the 'innocence' much like some humans contain the ability to use 'magic'. Allen however is special, he is- to our best knowledge- the only person to contain both the power of 'magic' _and _the power to wield 'innocence'. He also appears to be the only one with the Innocence actually as part of his body. Innocence can be used to separate souls with no body from whatever is holding them to this earth and allow them to pass on to the great beyond. As with most things on this earth however, it has a counter- substance which is used by a man named the Millennium Earl to trap unwilling souls and force them to do his bidding. Allen has been fighting these 'Akuma' as he calls them, throughout the year- hence his disappearances. There is another group of Innocence wielders called the 'Black Order' who also fight the Millennium Earl however they are a very cultish like group and are a rule unto themselves with the head of their groups word being law. They do not take kindly to people that do not fit into their ideals or expectations and are not adverse to human testing. You can understand then why I wished to keep the knowledge of Allen's existence secret from them. Not only is this an issue but our own Ministry can be... difficult when it comes to powers that they do not comprehend and to be honest I do not think their reaction to finding out about Allen would be much better than the Orders" He had risen from his chair and paced the floor throughout the speech but now came and leaned on the arms of Harry's chair fixing those electric blue eyes on Harry's own green ones

"You have to understand this Harry and take it seriously. _No one_ can know about Allen other than you and perhaps Ron and Hermione. It must go no further. For either of these communities to lean about Allen or to even learn of each other would be catastrophic for all involved. Do you understand me?"

Harry nodded, trying to look as mature as possible and convey just how seriously he was taking this. While he now felt much more concerned for his friend, he felt the tight knot of tension that had formed over the year dissolve and he couldn't help but feel a little lighter and happier for it. At least now he knew that Allen was every bit the man he thought he had been and that he hadn't been putting his faith in a fraud- in someone hiding their true evil intents behind a masquerade of plastic smiles and empty words. His friend was truly everything he had hoped and yearned for him to be, and now that he knew, there was no need for there to be any more secrets. He, Ron and Hermione could help him, support him. Hermione... she would be waking up from her petrification any moment now. She was going to be _insufferably_ smug once she found out that Allen had been innocent all along but even the thought of her I-told-you-so look wasn't enough to stop the wide grin from spreading over his face nor was it enough to stop him from sprinting his way along the corridors and down the stairs with a blatant disregard for the school rules and the lecturing portraits to burst into the great hall, packed with milling school kids, still in their pyjamas, all cheering and singing as they celebrated the return of friends and the destruction of the evil mood that had sunk over the castle. Harry pushed through the crowds of students, not even bothering to pause and apologise until he saw them. Allen was sitting in the middle of Ron and Hermione, thoroughly wrapped in bandages, his hand resting on Ginny's shoulder as she knelt in front of him, chatting shyly to the three, her head resting contentedly on Allen's knee. As soon as they spotted him, their faces light up and he was engulfed in the most energetic group hug he had ever been unfortunate enough to receive. Eventually they let him go and after his lungs stopped feeling like crushed crisp packets, he joined in with the chat and banter that was flying across the group, a warm feeling burning brightly in his chest. To top it all off, Hagrid appeared, finally freed by the ministry, looking a little worse for the wear. Harry joined in this time in the very violent welcome group hug they gave him- not that it made much of an impression on him, he just beamed with pleasure and hugged them back, causing their breath to rush out of their lungs and Allen's ribs to creak ominously. They ushered him into a seat and ran back and forth to the table bringing entire platters of food to try and sate both his and Allen's apatite. Allen seemed determined to make up for lost time and was devouring everything within arm's reach whether or not anyone else was holding it and as the night wore on and the chatter died down, Harry looked contentedly around the Great Hall, packed with sleepy, contented students and felt more at home than he ever had before in his life.

* * *

><p>Eventually, after much chivvying from the teachers, the sleepy students were convinced that their bed s would be much comfier than the stone floor of the hall and there was a mass migration up to the separate dorms. Mumbled 'goodnights' and 'see you laters' were exchanged before they all collapsed, exhausted into their respective four posters. Harry had just enough energy to kick off his shoes before he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep<p>

* * *

><p>Harry was vaguely aware of an irritating noise. He rolled over and moaned slightly but it didn't stop so he opened one eye, annoyed at being disturbed. Mai was sitting on top of Allen's bed, obviously having been delivered back by the Ministry too. She was talking quickly and was taking bug gulps of air every time she stopped for breath<p>

"...and they said that I was being a baby and I had to stop crying but I couldn't and they wouldn't let me see you and I tried to run away but they caught me and told me I was bad and I wasn't allowed to write to you so I bit them and they shouted and me and I told them they weren't allowed to take me away from you and then they told me that you weren't even my daddy so I punched them and then they bled..." she started sobbing, he entire form shaking with her cries. Allen embraced her, a single tear running down his own cheek as he planted a small kiss on her head

"Come on" He said, in a fake cheery voice "No crying. Your back now, that's what counts and I am never letting you go again, OK?" Her sobs decreased slightly in volume

"Besides, what would those silly people know about you and me huh? Were they with us in Japan? Did they see all those nights that we would sit and tell stories till we fell asleep or do they know about all the times we snuck into the circus and went on the merry-go round as many times as we wanted? They had no right to tell you who you are and who I am. They don't know a thing about us and what we have been through" There was a low note of anger in his voice but he kept his tone soft, his fury only betrayed by his face. Mai hiccupped as her tears slowed and she sat up wiping at her eyes. Allen quickly schooled his expression back to neutrality

"But they said you were too young to be my daddy" She insisted, her voice pleading as she waited for her Pappy to explain everything away

"You remember don't you Mai, what I have always told you right? When a baby is born, it is made by a mummy and daddy but sometimes the mummy and daddy can't look after their baby and have to let someone else do it for them. Your mummy and daddy had something wrong with their hearts and so I had to look after you instead and that means that I did everything for you that your parents would have done and I love you just as if you really were my little girl so to me, you are and always will be my little denka" He gently brushed her hair out of her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Mai sniffed and gave a watery smile, lifting her own hand and resting it gently on Allen's cheek

"And you'll always be my Papa, Jibo" Allen smiled and embraced her again, burying his face in her back so she couldn't see his tears

"Tell you what Mai, why not break a couple rules to celebrate eh? Take your pick of these" He said cheerily, gesturing at the 'get well soon' gifts stacked around his bed "We'll take it down to the lake for a naughty breakfast and I'll explain to you exactly what happened here and why you were taken away. Does that sound good to you?" Mai nodded enthusiastically and scrambled off the bed, making a beeline for the biggest boxes of sweets she could find, eventually unearthing the largest of them all- a box of Honeyduke's chocolate assortments. Allen laughed lightly and scooped her up, placing her on his shoulder and tucking the box under his arm. On his way out of the dorm he turned slightly, giving a sly wink to Harry showing that his faux sleeping had not been convincing enough before turning and exiting through the door, letting it swing softly shut behind him.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N- An extra large chapter to make up for the wait :P**

**777angeloflove- Yeah, I was missing Mai so much I just had to get her back. Besides, depressive Allen isn't nearly as much fun (nor as cute) as parental Allen :P**

**Raychael Dionzeros- Haha, well I'm glad your enjoying it! P.S. More sweetness to come!**

**Sonnenfrost- Thank you and YES I HAVE! One Summer chap comin' up**

**D.A-H.A- Yeah, I have most of the plan figured out. You may see some of that coming up in the next book/year *hinthinthint* It will be pretty complicated though :S**

**sammi117- I did quit want to have her pwn Malfoy again but there wasn't really time and it didn't seem to fit. I'm sure I'll manage to make it happen again before the end though!**

**Coronadomontes- Unfortunately no, there will be Voldemort, the Death Eaters, The Millenium Earl **_**and **_**his followers (Including Noah and Akuma) To deal with. Remember though this story stars two hero's. :D**

From that day on, Mai never left Allen's side. She clung to him as if terrified that she would be taken away again and he seemed to be thinking along the same lines. She sat in on the last few days of lessons which were fairly informal anyway but Harry suspected guilt had a fair bit to do with the teacher's new lenience. The change in Allen had been obvious even to those who didn't spend much time with him when Mai had been taken from him. His happy-go-lucky attitude had completely disappeared to be replaced by a silent, depressed version and the transformation had shocked everyone. Even _Snape_ had allowed Mai into his class, provided that she didn't so much as move without his permission. It was a testament to her determination that she actually kept absolutely quiet and still through the whole lesson though she more than made up for it later during break. Harry played more games of tag and hide and seek in those last few days than he had ever played before in his life. Seeing Mai and Allen back together and so happy made him somewhat wistful as he thought of how different his life would have been if he had had someone- _anyone _- with which to play and love throughout his childhood. It wouldn't matter if they had been related to him, nor what age, race or even species they were. Something that seeing Allen with Mai had taught him was that the only thing that really mattered was that there was love for if there truly was love, nothing bad would come of it. He was proving that true even now, building relationships with Ron, Hermione, Allen even Dobby and Hedwig, only now being able to build that trusting relationship that he had missed out on through his childhood. In a way, it made the relationships more intimate and special. His friends had become his family, in the same sense that Allen had become Mai's Dad and regardless of the science and the logic that told him there was no family link there, he felt it and trusted in it. He was miserably reflecting on this as he packed his things into his trunk once again, slowly folding up and stowing away one by one. He stood up and looked around the bare dorm. Already he could feel the trepidation building up in his heart, already Hogwarts was feeling less and less like home as it emptied in preparation for the summer and as people started discussing how and where they were going to spend their holidays. Holidays. The ultimate endurance sport for him. At least this time though, he would be receiving letters- unless he managed to get on the wrong side of another house elf. The dorm door swung open and Allen came in, Mai trailing behind him, a handful of his robes clenched tight in her fist

"You packed yet Harry? Yours is the final trunk to be loaded onto the carriages" He said gazing around the deserted dorm as he spoke

"Woah this is weird. It feels... strange. Too empty" Harry nodded in agreement

"Yeah. I'm ready. Let's go" He turned around and hefted his trunk up in his arms, refusing to meet Allen's inquisitive gaze. Allen stepped forward and gripped the other end of the trunk, silently offering support. Mai, being her usual helpful self, climbed up on top of the trunk and perched on the lid- claiming that she was going to be 'lookout' and bossily directed them throughout the school. After the third set of stairs, Harry began to seriously regret leaving his packing so late- if he had done it the night before the trunk would have been taken down for him. He set his end of the trunk down and lent against it panting

"How. Much. Further?" He asked between gulps of air. Allen set down his end too and raised an amused eyebrow at his friend

"You've still got four to go! Surely you're not out of energy _already..._ I thought after taking on a giant basilisk a couple staircases like this would be a cake walk" Amusement thrummed trough his voice as he very obviously tried to hold back his laughter. Harry glared up at his smirking friend as intimidatingly as he could with Mai poking his forehead and giggling at him

"Oh, shoosht you" He grumbled, standing up again "I'd rather take on another four basilisks than another four set of stairs" He looked despairingly down at the trunk where Mai was once again perched on the lid, her arms folded stubbornly and her eyes daring him to try and remove her. Allen laughed and put a finger to his lips before muttering under his breath "_Wingardeum Leviosa" _

Mai let out a cry of delight as the trunk moved effortlessly into the air

"Just for the next three floors" Allen said, his eyes dancing with mischievousness "and then I'm afraid you'll just have to man up" Harry stuck his tongue out before falling into step with Allen, the trunk bobbing behind them like a strange balloon as they descended the next set of stairs

* * *

><p>Allen helped Harry to heft the huge trunk onto the roof rack of the carriage and after petting the invisible creature that was pulling them, he swung up into the rickety vehicle, sitting next to Hermione. He reached his arms out for Mai, gesturing with one hand to Harry who obliged, lifting the squirming bundle of energy up to her papa<p>

"How come you're coming down with us?" He asked as he too swung himself up, sitting next to Ron and warily eyeing Mai who was opposite him- though she was too busy half hanging out of the window in order to see the last of Hogwarts to pay much attention to him

"I thought you'd have left with Dumbledore"

Allen gripped Mai tight round the waist to prevent her from tumbling headfirst out onto the road

"Well, Dumbledore has some business or other to take care of and Mai really, _really_ wanted to get a train ride so we are going to get the train in with you guys and then get a bus to his house" At the word 'train' Mai pulled her head back in and began to expound to all of them the many delights of trains her words tripping and tumbling over themselves with her excitement as she finished her sentences almost before she had started them. Allen rolled his eyes indulgently as he talked over her chatter "She didn't get to sleep till about 3 this morning with excitement" He moaned, and now that he mentioned it, Harry noticed the dark bags beneath his eyes. The way things had been recently, Allen had to wait until Mai was fast asleep before venturing out on his scouting missions as she refused to go to sleep without him there beside her. Thankfully she never caught on to his disappearances but Harry had been on edge the whole of the last week, terrified that he would have to deal with her if she woke up to find her papa gone. The chatter of the students as they boarded the train was almost deafening and the four teenagers (with Mai on Harry's shoulders) had to cling tightly together to prevent themselves from being swept away in the press. Eventually though they fought their way to an empty compartment and collapsed inside, slamming the door shut. A battle immediately ensued about who got the window seat Ron and (not surprisingly) Mai won. With a rattle and screech, the train pulled away from the station slowly but steadily building up pace. All five of them crowded around the window, straining to see the last of the castle, returning reluctantly to their seats a long while after the last glimpse of its extensive grounds had disappeared from sight. Ron pulled a pack of cards out of his back pocket "Anyone for a game of cards?" He asked brightly, dealing them out on the table "We can play for our supply of sweets!"

Hermione turned her nose up at the 'vulgar' game and curled up in her seat, a stack of books at her side. Allen and Harry both opted in willingly accepting their hands and pulling out their sweets and arranging them on the table, sorting them into values depending on type- with Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans being equivalent to 1p all the way up to Honeyduke's chocolate bars being equivalent to £1000. Allen shifted slightly, moving Mai's head from his shoulder to his lap so he could reach the table easier. She had run around like a mad thing for the first 10 minutes or so exploring every inch of the place before her exhaustion finally caught up with her and she fell sound asleep

"You sure you want to play Allen" Ron smirked playingly "Your pile of candy has suffered some serious collateral damage from your delightful daughter and I'll have you know, I am raining champion at cards" Harry laughed at his friends antics

"Oh, that sounds like fighting talk!" He turned to Allen who seemed to be surrounded by a dark aura. He chuckled menacingly "Let's see who's holding that title at the end of the game shall we?"

* * *

><p>Harry miserably pushed over his last handful of every flavour beans into Allen's now mountainous pile. Allen happily shuffled the cards again, casually fanning them out onto the table<p>

"Another round, gentleman?" He said in a scarily innocent voice. Harry shuddered; it was freaky hearing someone speak so politely right after they just cleared you out effortlessly. Ron's confidence had completely dissolved and he was glowering at what little of Allen he could see from behind his sweets "You are cheating. You _must_ be cheating! There's no _way _you are that good" He cried in protest, cupping his hands protectively around his remaining liquorice wand and chocolate frog. Allen chuckled darkly again "Just you try and prove it! It's not cheating if you don't get caught!"

"I knew it!" Ron cried triumphantly and practically leapt over the table but after forcing Allen to roll up his sleeves, checking for mirrors and earning a slap from Hermione for asking if she was leaking clues he slumped down on the table in defeat

"No faaaair" He wailed. "I was looking forward to eating those so much" He turned puppy eyes onto Allen but he was oblivious to it as he counted his winnings, a frightening grin stretching wide across his face

"You still have a little left there I see, how about another game. Your luck may just turn" Ron pulled a face and hugged his remaining sweets to his chest. "No way!" Harry and Hermione joined forces in laughing at his bad luck "Don't cry Ron" Hermione said, having put down her book to watch the unfolding drama "Allen's just teasing you- he's going to give you the sweets back" Both Harry and Ron immediately turned to look imploringly at Allen whose expression could only be described as 'deer in the headlights' "What? I am? No way! I won them fair and square!" He squealed as he tried to hug his huge pile of sweets to himself. Hermione fixed her most disapproving look on him and he held out pretty well considering- lasting about 5 minutes before caving in (very reluctantly) and handing back the sweets to Ron and Harry

"Sweeeeeet!" Ron cried in delight "Cheers Hermione" She glowered at him

"You're _so _childish, Ronald" she hissed before curling up on her seat and picking up the book she just finished, flicking back to the beginning and commencing reading again. Ron gave Harry a bewildered look before shrugging his shoulders and digging into his replenished supplies of chocolate frogs with gusto while Allen watched muttering discontentedly beneath his breath

* * *

><p>All too soon, they pulled in at Kings Cross and disembarked from the train. Allen awkwardly trailed behind the group, trying to hold a still sleeping Mai with one hand and drag his trunk with the other. Harry lagged back to help, in no hurry to exit the barrier and meet his family once again. Allen smiled and thanked him when he took the trunk from him, wheeling it alongside his own. "Thank you Harry. And don't look so down in the dumps! This summer will be better. You'll see. I might even be able to wangle some free time out of Dumbledore and come down to see you" Harry smiled at his friend, glad that he was trying to help but still unable to shake that trepidation that was building up in his heart as he neared the barrier. One by one they slipped back through into the muggle world. Harry could see Uncle Vernon glowering over at him, his piggy eyes widened with shock and disgust as he registered Allen's shock of white hair and scar. Allen grinned and gave him a friendly wave "Wow, I don't know what you've been complaining about Harry! He looks like a real charmer" Hermione hugged him tight "We'll write lots <em>won't we Ronald"<em> She shot Ron a meaningful look and he chuckled sheepishly "Yeah, promise mate. And if your podgy relatives really get on your nerves, just drop us a note. We'll come pick you up in a flying bulldozer next time. See if we can't give old tubster there a proper aneurism" Harry laughed and hugged them all, even allowing a dozy Mai to climb into his arms and give him a peck on the cheek before returning her to Allen's arms where she promptly fell asleep again.

"I'll see you all soon" He said rather wistfully as he walked toward his uncle, who, as soon as he saw Harry moving his way walked off, anxious that no one would realize that they were actually related

* * *

><p>Harry laughed as he sorted through his bundle of presents, keeping as quiet as possible. The last thing he wanted was for the Dursley's to find out he had actually received presents this year. He was just sitting down to read the Quidditch book he had been given when there was an impatient rap on the window. He got up to see Timcampy flapping wildly, trying to stay airborne with his load of parcels. Harry hurriedly opened the window and relieved the tiny creature of his load. Once relieved of the load, Tim shook out his wings and sped around the room as if to prove that he was a very good flier when now cumbered with 3 huge packages. Harry delighted tore into the first box to find a small birthday cake, the decoration on it was... well... a little chaotic. Every form of decoration was haphazardly sprinkled over the white icing which had been spiked up into huge peaks on some places while other sections lay bare. Harry bit a chunk out of the edge, deciding that as he wasn't sharing it, he may as well dig in. It was <em>heavenly<em>, light sponge with blueberry jam in the centre- the sweet icing counteracting the tart blueberries. He closed his eyes in extecy and savoured the treat when he heard a noise. He opened his eyes and saw... _Allen?_ His heart resumed its normal rhythm after he noticed Tim and realised it was the projection of a recording

"Hey Harry, happy birthday!" Allen said grinning widely and waving "Hopefully Tim actually survived the journey... I actually made a much bigger cake for you but Tim appears to have scared off all the owls and he couldn't carry it by himself so I made you that one. Don't feel too bad though, it was a terrible hardship but I managed to force myself to eat it for you" He smirked as he said this, mirth bubbling up in his voice "So, onto your presents. Mai insisted that we explain them properly so you'll have to open them on my cue, ok?" Harry tugged the string holding the boxes together off and settled himself comfortably on his bed, taking another big bite out of the _oh my goodness still heavenly_ cake "Alright, first open the one wrapped by Mai" Harry immediately picked up the parcel covered in crayon drawings of rainbows and unicorns, carefully tugging the cellotape off so that the paper didn't rip. He tipped the odd assortment of object out on the bed and looked in confusion at the projector in hopes of an explanation "Right now, first, see that... erm... straw"

Mai's voice came from off screen "No, Jibo, its _reeds_" Allen rolled his eyes slightly

"Right of course. OK then see that _reed_ toy" but Mai interrupted him again

"It's a _doll_" Allen sighed and ran his hands through his hair

"You come explain it then!" Mai ran onto screen and sat down straightening out her skirt and fixing a childishly serious look on Tim making Harry snort with laughter

"It's a _reed doll_ and I made it" Harry picked up the bundle of reeds he assumed she was talking about, There was two pieces of twine tied around the bent bundle of reeds and a stick jammed through the middle making rather lopsided arms

"It's your present coz you are there and we are here and it's a magic doll" She leant forward, her face filling up the screen, eyes sincere

"It's magic coz I made it and I love you so it loves you and when your meany uncle and aunt and cousin are mean you can hug it and it'll make it so your hugging me" A small smile tugged at Harry's lips as he tried to swallow the lump that had appeared in his throat. He turned the doll over in his hands, and it seemed all of a sudden much more precious.

"The bottle of sand is because you need a birthday wish" Mai continued, unaware of the effect of her first gift

"See, once upon a time, there was a big battle on our beach" Harry assumed by this she meant the beach beside Dumbledore's house

"The fairies battled the pixies and they won but some of them died but it was ok because when fairies die, they turn to fairy dust and they aren't really dead and they made the sand sparkle with their dust so I put some into a bottle coz fairies are magical and the can be generated again" Harry laughed at her childish speech as he lifted up the small bottle of sand attached to a length of twine "And when they generate again" Mai continued

"They will give you a wish so that's your birthday wish. I had to do it that way because Pappy wouldn't let me light you're candle in your birthday cake" As soon as she finished the speech, she ran over to hug Time and disappeared off screen again. Allen laughed as he watched her disappear

"I know, I am such a mean father, imagine not letting her send a lit candle to you" Harry tucked the small glass bottle in under his t-shirt and picked up the next, flat package which he assumed was from Allen

"The other present is sort of a cheat one" Allen said, rather sheepishly "I was out with Dumbledore on one of his many, _many_ business meetings and came across this. I got it at a major discount because it's just a prototype and I think the inventor was hoping to win Dumbledore over by giving it to me" Harry tore the wrapping paper off to reveal a smooth wooden picture frame sporting a blank canvas. He turned it over, wondering if he was looking at the wrong end but the back was just plain wood.

"It's the next big thing since photography" Allen said, voice booming as he mimicked a salesman "Are you tired of looking at the same old photos or paintings? Got more family pictures than you can handle? Why not use this new system. Simply load all your pictures onto this one device and you will be able to change them with ease. The photo frame 1000 comes fully equipped with many complimentary scenes such as 'sea' and 'night sky' simply say the name of the place you wish to see and photo frame 1000 will show you it in real time!" He returned to his normal voice here "Actually, this prototype is missing most of the scenes but I have no idea which ones. Just keep saying place names out loud to it and you'll soon figure out which ones it does. I sent Timcampy to Ron and Hermione so I have pictures of all of us loaded on to it already, though I couldn't find one of all of us together but we'll sort that soon enough- not long to go till school now! Have a great day and I'll see you soon alright?" The recording freeze framed for a second before closing down. Harry crawled to the edge of his bed and lifted off the picture of some famous car or other that was hanging there- the Dursley's had funnily enough not re-decorated after moving Harry into Dudley's old room- and he replaced it with the blank frame. He had some fun flicking through the pictures his friends had loaded on, the entire Weasly family were there and Hermione had a picture of herself smiling shyly, holding her Hogwarts acceptance letter and her parents standing behind her, their faces proud. There was a picture of Allen and Mai at a small beach, walled in by cliffs, one meandering path twisting its way up the stone walls leading to an oddly shaped stone house at the top. Mai was in a brightly coloured summer dress and was constructing a sand fortress while Allen stood nearby trying to catch her so he could put sunscreen on her. Harry smiled watching them run around the frame as he polished off the last of the cake with relish. Not long to go now he kept on saying to comfort himself he sighed as he picked up the permission form he had received. He was going to have to do some major sucking up if he was going to get anywhere near Hogsmeade this year. He sighed wistfully and whispered 'Hogwarts' out loud. The picture of Mai and Allen disappeared to be replaced by a panoramic view of the caste and grounds. Harry crawled to the edge of his bed and lightly brushed the picture with his finger, causing it to zoom in and slowly spin. He had some fun after discovering this feature spinning the castle around at dizzying speed and zooming in on different parts, watching the giant squid lazily circle the lake and curiously following some stray owls as the winged their way across the night sky. When he had seen his fill, he whispered 'off' to the picture- it wouldn't do for the Dursley's to see it- and curled up in his bed, exhausted but completely content.

* * *

><p>Harry stormed out of the house as soon as he heard Vernon's car leave<strong>(AN, Yes, I **_**know **_**that he is supposed to go fetch Marge here but let me have a little artistic licence here!)**. He powered down the pavement, his fists clenched tight as he tried to hold in his anger. He kept on going blindly till he reached his favourite spot- a low wall with an overhanging willow tree which shielded him not only from the blazing sun but also from the stares of the neighbours. He flopped down and glared at the pavement. Trust the _Dursley's _to manage to wreck his birthday quite so spectacularly. Now not only was he going to have to put up with being civil to the most vile human being ever to walk the earth but he was also going to have to pretend to be an _incurable criminal?_ It was unbearable but... Hogsmeade. He would just have to constantly remind himself of what was at stake here- he only had to put up with it for a week. He could do that right? He moaned and buried his head in his hands

"You're awfully grumpy for a birthday boy" Said a teasing voice. Harry stood up too quickly in surprise and thumped his head on one of the branches of the tree. He emerged from its leaves rubbing his head ruefully to see Allen standing beside the tree, a broad grin on his face.

"You didn't think we would actually let you spend your birthday alone did you?" He said, gently punching his shoulder. Harry just gawped in surprise, too shocked to form any coherent though. Before he could recover sufficiently to say anything, Mai tackle hugged him almost knocking him over "Kiniiri!" She cried in delight "I want a piggy back! Did you like the present? Did the fairy come back? Have you made your wish? Are you coming to the beach- Jibo, is Kiniiri coming to the beach? Your coming to the beach Kiniiri and we will make a castle and we will go swimming and we will get ice cream" At this point, she began speaking so quickly it was impossible to be sure if the sounds coming out of her mouth were even words any more. Harry looked in utter bemusement at Allen who looked like he was going to burst out laughing at any second

"Why are you both here? And _why_ is Mai calling me Kiniiri?" Harry said weakly

"Well, we though- seeing as its your birthday- and Dumbledore had to come back from his negotiations in Ghana to deal with this break out business- that we would make good on our promise to visit you while we are still here in England! And Mai is calling you Kiniiri because... erm... it's like a nickname in Japanese" Harry glared suspiciously at him

"What does it mean?" He asked warily

"Well...aha... it sort of means pet. But in a good way!" He said hurriedly "Like a really great pet..." Harry glowered at him but was unable to keep it up for very long, so glad he was to see them both.

"Anyway" Allen said with the air of someone trying to change the conversation "Let's get going! No time to waste!"

"Get going where exactly" Harry asked as he lifted Mai up onto his shoulders

"The beach of course" Allen sang, brandishing the humungous pick nick hamper he was carrying

"But we are nowhere near the beach" Harry protested, jogging slowly to amuse Mai who bobbed up and down on his shoulders pretending he was her horse. Allen just smirked mysteriously

"I have my ways... and this is part of your birthday treat. No charge required" They walked up to a deserted stretch of road and Allen stopped, sticking his hand out into midair over a tangle of bushes. Harry looked from Allen's hand to him, vaguely concerned for his friends sanity when two broom rose up from the ground- Harry's own firebolt and a significantly thicker and longer broom with the word '_dustdevil'_ emblazoned across the dull wood. He rummaged around in the pick nick hamper and pulled out Harry's cloak, throwing it to him

"I may or may not have broken into your house a tiny little bit" He said as he pulled out his own invisibility cloak- it was much thicker than Harry's and significantly less invisible but it would do the trick once they were up on the air. They ended up flying for a good half an hour as Mai insisted on going to a beach in Ireland that they had visited earlier in the summer when Dumbledore was on one of his business trips. Eventually however they landed at a small beach town called Portobello and almost as soon as they landed Harry wished he was back in the air again. The heat hit him like a sledgehammer as the sun blazed furiously down on them. If he was bad though, Allen was 100 times worse. He was sporting a black hoodie and looked like he was about to expire there and then

"What are you doing you idiot" Harry panted "Take that silly thing off or you'll melt!" Allen miserably shook his head

"This is a holiday destination Harry, lots of families. I'll get chased off by the police if any of them see my scar or hair" Harry laughed incredulously "What, arrest you for having a scar? It's hardly a crime. Besides, you are wearing a black hoodie, I'd say that's pretty intimidating in itself!" Allen shook his head "It's happened to me before and I won't look intimidating, look" He tugged the hood up to reveal two cute cat ears attached to the top "Besides, I'll have Mai with me, wrecking any possible street cred the hoodie gains me. Come on- I don't know about you two but my plan is to dive headfirst into that sea" And with that, he took off at a lazy run, vaulted over the wall separating the promenade from the rocky beach and scrambled his way over the rocks before literally face-planting himself into the water. Harry followed much more slowly, letting Mai down when he reached the rocks so she could go off exploring. He gingerly edged his way toward the sea, kicking his shoes and socks off, and warily dipping his toe in the water "It's _freezing_!" He yelped. Allen surfaced, one of the cat ears stuck damply to his head giving him an even more comical appearance "Don't be such a baby" He cried "It's lovely!" Harry edged his way slowly in before chickening out again. Eventually Allen got so bored of him overreacting that he came out of the water, ensuing an embarrassingly short chase before capturing Harry and throwing him into the water. He resurfaces gasping with the cold but laughing too. They alternated between playing explorers on the rocks, playing in the sandy playpark and having races on the go-kart track returning every ten minutes or so to re-set their thermostat by jumping into the sea so they stayed in a perpetual state of dampness. They snacked shamelessly as they went along, vowing to try every ice cream flavour the little town sold, and there were _loads_. They each got a separate flavour and swapped them all round as soon as they got bored of their own. They went pier diving too ant the other end of town- even Harry tried it, though only after Mai jumped in- because as much of a baby as he was when it came to anything that involved deep water considering his absolutely pathetic swimming skills, there was no _way_ he was going to get shown up by a five year old child eventually around 12 ish they stopped for lunch but by that time, Allen had dipped into the basket so many times it was almost empty, save a few sandwiches "I could have sworn I brought more" He mumbled to himself, sticking his head hopefully into the basket to check if there were any more hiding in the bottom "Ah well, no point in letting them go to waste" He chirped and stuffed them into his mouth as they made their way to the fish and chips. They excited, arms full of steaming hot packages (Allen had bought one of every meal to the storekeepers delight) and ate down at the beach, legs dangling over the wall as they watched Mai play make-believe on the rocks, her supper lying half-eaten and forgotten on one of the flatter rocks. Harry took the opportunity to tell Harry about Marge and her evil little hellhounds "I just don't know if I'll be able to hold out" He wailed miserably, stuffing a handful of chips in his mouth "_and_ it means you won't be able to visit me. No offence or anything but she would blow a gasket if she so much as knew I _had _a friend" Allen kicked his heels against the wall as he nicked a few of Harry's chips, hungrily eyeing up Mai's abandoned meal "She sure sounds like a charmer" He joked "Maybe I should come visit. It might just scare her off" Harry ginned at the thought but his smile faded

"Nah. If I have any hope of getting Uncle Vernon to sign my form, I had better be on my best behaviour"

"Spoilsport" Allen huffed "Actually, I don't know how I feel about being your friend anymore- considering how you are an incurable criminal and all" Harry punched him non to gently on the arm

"Shut it you" A short wrestling match ensued, resulting in the both of them resolving the issue by dunking the other thoroughly. Once again sopping wet, they squidged their way back to the promenade with Mai bounding behind them, the pockets of her summer dress bulging with stones.

"Look Jibo!" She squealed suddenly with excitement, tugged on Allen's dripping hoodie and pointed to a street vender selling popcorn. Allen's face lit up with joy and he let out a cry of excitement, running up and buying a huge bag of butter popcorn with extra butter before happily settling down on one of the benches as he took a huge handful before passing it to Mai and Harry.

"What's so special about popcorn?" Harry asked, rather bemused by their reaction

"Well" Allen mumbled around a mouthful of popcorn "When I worked in the circuses one of my jobs was always to clean out the food stalls so I used to bring all the left over popcorn- kernels and all back. Mai and I would eat it for a treat and it was always swimming with butter because there was always so much left in the machine" He gazed, starry eyed into the distance as he automatically stuffed another handful of popcorn into his mouth. Harry wrinkled his nose

"Sounds horrible! And way to get a cardio vascular problem" He teased

"Well you've seen how much I eat- circuses aren't exactly overly generous with their wages so I had to take food where I could. I cleared out the toffee apple stalls too so at least I got some of my five a day" He sighed, crumpling up the package "We used to eat it when we were on the carousel- I could work it without the music so the ringmasters never knew and Mai and I would just go round and round till she fell asleep in my arms" He smiled nostalgically as he watched Mai swing round and round on the playpark roundabout "I'd half forgotten just how bad things used to be" He said softly, half to himself "I sometimes had to carry her everywhere with me- some of the circuses were of dubious reputation. Other times I had to leave her with different performers while I worked. I forget just how lucky we are to be safe and protected"

"How come you worked in circuses if they were so bad? And for that matter, why did you keep switching the ones you worked in?" Allen never talked much about his past and Harry was beyond curious- he decided he may as well take advantage of Allen being in such a sharing mood

"The Japanese people are a lot more superstitious than people here- and for that matter, people here aren't that much more accepting- but for me, the circus was the best protection and thankfully they not only have very few scruples about child labour but they also are very secretive and so were much less likely to inform the police that there was a young kid running amok with a baby. As for why I kept leaving... issues kept arising. A cruel ringmaster, an overly curios performer, poor wages... the list goes on. Circuses aren't really anything like those happy- clappy bright places of fun you see on the television. There is a much darker side to them" He shivered slightly despite the heat and then gave a rather forced laugh

"Anyway. It's all behind me now" He grinned widely at Harry, clearly showing the conversation was over "How about one last dip in the sea before we get you back home. Can't have you late for your delightful Aunt now can we!" That brought Harry back to earth with a thud and he gazed despondently out at the invitingly azure sea "Yeah I guess your right" He sighed. Allen shoved him gently "Race you!" He yelled over his shoulder as he sprinted off down to the sea

"No faaaaaair!" Wailed Harry as he shot after him.

By the time they got back to Privet drive Harry was shivering- turns out flying very fast through the air is not a good idea when your clothes are sopping wet. He was just reflecting on how ironic it would be to catch a cold in the middle of a heatwave when Allen stopped

"We'd better get going" he said, giving Harry a quick hug and lifting up Mai so she could give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek "Bye bye kiniire " She giggled, giving him another peck on the nose and petting his hair before wriggling out of Allen's arms and running off to the broom.

"I'll see you soon Harry" Allen said, waving before he swing his cloak over him and Mai and sped off into the sky. Harry trudged slowly home and made his way up to his room, trying to mentally prepare himself for the next week of torture. He was just about to collapse onto the bed when he noticed the window was lying open and on his bed lay a neat stack of every flavour of popcorn under the sun. Allen must have bought it while Harry was trying to drag Mai away from the swing sets before they left and broken into the house again while he was making his _slow_ way back home. A small note lay beside it '_hopefully this helps you get through the next week. Chin up, old Pal'_ and scribbled in a childish scrawl beneath it was '_mAi' _then beneath that again '_Mai has just learnt to spell her own name. She thought you might like to know. See you soon!'_ Harry grinned despite hearing the car door slam out in the drive and hearing the dreaded Aunt arrive. It was only one week...


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N-Disclaimer- This chapter is way longer than any of my others- this will _not_ become the norm. I struggled to get this written up in time but I really needed to make it this long. You'll see why. Also before you ask, still not changed my mind on the no pairings yet though I would appreciate thoughts (you'll see what I mean)**

**sammi117- I know, they were really adorable in that chappy, I love writing those two together :D**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Mine too! I have complete freedom when writing her character which is fun!**

**Sonnenfrost- I'm glad you liked it and I know, I would much rather someone give me a present that cost nothing but a little thought than an expensive one but still :( It's quite fun trying to come up with fun presents like that for your friends- For one of my friends birthdays, I gave her the printed pages of a section of an anime she hated along with a pack of matched and a jam jar to seal the ashes in :P **

**777angeloflove- Tuh dah! An extra specially long chapter just for you!**

**Coronadomontes- It's hard to answer that without giving anything away... The Millenium Earl and Voldemort will not exactly be joined forces- they are just sort of dependant on each other and neither trusts the other enough to be proper partners... it's really hard to try and explain without giving anything away! No they won't fight- as in battle- against each other but they are not exactly joined at the hip either**

**B3GIN- Thanks for the feedback but my full reply will be very wordy so I'm going to PM you :)**

**Guest- Not sure if you are still reading this but I decided to reply here in case you are because I can't PM you. **

**1. Timcampy- There is very little explained about golems in the anime so I guess I used my artistic licence a little there, which is something I admit I have been very guilty of throughout this whole story which I do apologise for. I had to have them meet in a different context as I removed Cross from the story and I thought Allen saving his life was a good way to go because it would explain his undying loyalty **

** - I had to remove him for this story to work as I could think of no other way for Allen to enter Hogwarts which unfortunately led me to having to re-write much of Allen's character and story. Allen self-trained himself which I don't see as highly unlikely because Cross actually did very little training, his main role was just to keep an eye on Allen**

**3. Mai- Allen didn't trust her with anyone else partially because she had magic and he didn't know at that stage that there even was a wizarding community and he didn't trust anyone else not to do what her parents did and abandon her. Part of it was purely selfishness though as she was the one that snapped him out of his depression.**

**Thank you for your constructive criticism though- I do appreciate it and I hope you are still reading :)**

**Diavo- I am really glad you are enjoying this story so much! Plus yeah, I really don't like Seamus and Dean all that much :P**

Allen wearily flopped down on a small single bed, wincing as he felt the bony knuckles of every spring dig into his back. He had just finished unpacking the last of the suitcases as Dumbledore had rushed away to some meeting or other as soon as they had arrived at the holiday cottage leaving Allen to deal with all of the luggage while he swaned off to solve some new crisis or other. It was something to do with a discussion on prison security as now the entire wizarding community was freaking out about the measures not being strict enough- though if you asked him, any prison that had lasted that long with only one escapee was a pretty good one, especially when you considered that it contained _every single_ wizarding criminal in the UK but whatever. Everyone was panicking so Mai and Allen had been uprooted from their cosy house on the cliff top to this tiny cottage in the middle of the countryside. Not that he didn't like the countryside- it was just that he liked the shops to be closer than a miles hike from him. Plus the bony mattress was not helping matters at all. He got up after his stomach started to complain loudly about the lack of food and with a huff of irritation pulled on his boots again, mentally preparing himself for a miles walk with heavy grocery bags. Mai scurried up to his side, sporting a pair of bright yellow wellington boots

"Where are we going Jiiibo?" She sang, dancing energetically round him

"Shopping" He grunted, pulling his hoodie on "Are you sure you want to come? It's a long walk" But Mai insisted that she could do it "I'm _five_ now daddy" She proclaimed proudly and set off at a fast pace as if to prove to him that such distances were a cake walk for her. Allen followed her after unearthing a rusty wheelbarrow to carry the shopping in and put a hand on her shoulder, gently steering her around so she was walking in the right direction before falling into step with her as they made their way over the rolling hills, following a path of worn grass in the hopes that it led to the town. It did eventually, and after seeing just teasing glimpses of chimney pots over the brows of the green slopes they came to a proper road which led into the surprisingly large town. Mai was very enthusiastic to begin with, loading every type of food she could lay her hands on into the cart while Allen returned most of it back to the shelf as soon as she turned her back but eventually her enthusiasm died out and she climbed into the baby seat of the trolley, pulled out her favourite fairytale book and buried her nose into it, every now and again reading out her favourite parts to Allen as he stacked the trolley full of food. He always bulk-bought his food due to the enormous quantities that he ate, filling the trolley up with sackfull's of rice, potato's and veg. One of the other reasons he was fairly bitter about having to leave Dumbledore's house was that he had to give up his jobs- he had managed to get a paper round as well as a restaurant job which he had used to buy all his food because he was unwilling to be any more in Dumbledore's debt than he already was however it was quite likely that by the end of the week he was going to have to ask for money. He scowled in irritation as he switched one of the huge boxes of cereal for a cheaper rip-off version. He was going to have to find some way to earn again because by the sound of things they were going to be here for a while. Allen loaded all the shopping bags into the wheelbarrow but before he had managed to get more than a few steps along the road, Mai spotted a sweet shop. The two of them exited a few minutes later, each carrying a small paper bag of sweets. Allen was just about to pick up the handles of the wheelbarrow again when someone walked straight into him, sending him and his shopping flying.

"Oh my gosh I am _so _sorry" Cried a voice somewhere to his right. Allen struggled to get up, eventually untangling himself from the shopping to see a young girl lying on the ground beside him, a book clutched in her hands her face red with embarrassment

"I was reading and I just forgot to look where I was..." her voice trailed off as she looked at him and caught a glimpse of his scar. Allen flushed darkly and ducked his head, pulling his hood back up

"It's OK, I'm not hurt" He said standing up and restacking the shopping, giving her the chance to leave without feeling too guilty but she didn't go. Instead, she picked up the paper bag that had landed on the ground, scattering the sweets everywhere

"Ooh, strawberry bon bon's. They are my favourite! Come on, will you let me buy you another bag as an apology?" Allen looked at her in surprise, at a loss for what to say. He stammered out something about her not needing to but she just grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shop. Allen reached down and scooped Mai up in his arms before he was dragged through the door

"Is this your sister?" The girl asked curiously, her blue eyes smiling as she waved at Mai who shyly returned the gesture

"Ah... not really. Sort of" She gave Allen a rather assessing look

"I shall need to hear this story! Two quarters of strawberry bon bon's please" They wondered out of the shop with their sweets and Alexi- as Allen found out her name was- led them to a small playpark. The two of them sat side by side on the swings and Allen told her a heavily edited version of his past- that he and Mai had been in the same orphanage and that he had cared for her as a daughter and that later they had both been adopted by the same person

"So you are originally from Japan" She said, lazily scuffing her feet off the ground, sending her swing a little higher "Your English is good. Very good actually" Allen smiled shyly

"Thank you. My first foster father taught me it very well, he thought it was important that I could speak it properly seeing as it is the business language of the world" His smile faded slightly and he gazed at the ground, kicking his feet so that the swing swung in circles, the chain growing taughter and taughter until he lifted his feet and the world whirled around him till it righted itself again

Alexi looked searchingly at him, her face grave too "What happened to him?" She asked, so softly that if he had wished to, Allen could have just pretended not to hear. He raised his eyes to her solemn face and suddenly made the decision to trust her

"He died when I was only a little older than Mai. It was my fault. I... I made a stupid decision and trusted the wrong people. He died trying to save me" He kept his gaze fixed on his hands trying very hard not to think about what he was saying. No matter how many times he told the story, he could still feel the knife of guilt twisting in his heart and hear the echo of Mana's furious voice. He jumped with surprise when he felt Alexi's warm hand on his own as she gently clasped it

"It wasn't your fault, Allen" She whispered, tears in her eyes

"You were too young to know what you were doing. I know how you feel though. My mother... she died last year. I... I had fought with her just before. Something stupid, not even important but I shouted at her in anger and then she died without me even apologising" A tear slipped down her cheek "But I know that she has forgiven me, just as your father has forgiven you" She smiled gently at him and he smiled back too then gave a little laugh

"This is the most ridiculous first meeting ever!" She laughed too, the tears still sparkling in her eyes

"Come on" She said and the two of them ran off to join Mai in the play park running around with wild abandon, laughing louder and acting all the more childishly to spite the pain in their hearts. Eventually when the shadows grew long and even Mai begun to run out of energy, they reluctantly decided to go back home. Alexi hugged Allen briefly and kissed Mai on the cheek, making plans to meet them again and promising to finish her book that night so Allen could read it and see exactly why she was justified in knocking him over. They waved good bye and walked off in opposite directions, Alexi with her nose firmly back in her book and Allen trundling the wheelbarrow along with Mai curled up on the top of one of the bags of rice, half asleep.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Alexi's father ran a drop in centre for homeless people and Allen was able to get a job there easily enough. The pay was pretty awful but it was better than nothing and it meant that he could work while keeping an eye on Mai. He was soon put on kitchen duty and was in charge of all the cooking which more than pleased him as working with food was almost as much fun as eating it. He helped Alexi with the cleaning and maintaining of the house between meal times as there was no one else to help out. When he asked her why there were no other workers she just shrugged sheepishly and said "Well after mum died, dad sort of stopped coming by and the workers left soon after that. Something about '<em>if the boss can't even be bothered turning up why should we?<em>'" She flashed him a quick grin but it was clear that she was quite upset

"How long has it just been you looking after this place" Allen asked as he worked his way up the narrow corridor with a ragged mop that had most definitely seen better days

"Well thankfully the last worker didn't leave till a week or so ago but it's pretty obvious that they had stopped looking after the place properly long before they left. It was in a right state when I first started. I've been struggling to work my way through all the records too" He jerked her head in the direction of the small cupboard like room that was being used to hold all the records of residents. It was supposed to be a way of figuring out who was who and how often they visited. In theory it was so that any lost person could be flagged and all the data gathered about a resident could be kept together so that if they returned after a while any allergies etc could be looked up however, it was clear that no one had been bothering to keep up with it and sheaves of paper were belching out of filing cabinets and drawers, coating the floor and seeping out into the hallway. Allen raised one eyebrow at the mess "Do you want a hand with that" He asked as he skipped past the area around the paper then continued mopping the rest of the corridor. Alexi looked for a minute like she might accept his offer but seemed to change her mind and shook her head "Nah it's fine. I already know the filing system so it'll be easier for me to do it" Allen shrugged easily

"That's fine. Now about that book you lent me..." And they spent the rest of the chores deep in discussion about the book, ranting about the irritating characters and waxing lyrical on their favourite's, bemoaning the premature end and wishing out loud that there was a sequel. Before they realised it, they had cleaned the house from top to bottom and it was tea time already. Allen rushed off to start the pasta while Amy frantically set the tables, recruiting a willing Mai to help. Mai seemed quite star struck by Amy and took great pleasure in helping her whenever she could, carrying fistfuls of forks and knives from their cabinet to Amy so she could put them on the tables. Allen ran around the kitchen like a mad thing, throwing chopped tomatoes, stock and herbs into a separate pot to make a quick sauce while frying chicken and throwing a frozen crumble he had made earlier into the oven. He had just whipped up a simple custard and thrown it into the microwave when the first customer came in. Half falling over himself, he scooped a ladle of pasta, sauce and chicken onto a plate and thrust it over the counter to the slightly bemused man. Alexi and Mai joined him behind the counter and they soon had a little production line going with Allen piling on the pasta, Alexi ladling the sauce and chicken and Mai passing the plates over to the small queue of people. All three of them sank down to the floor in relief when the last scraped clean bowl of crumble was returned to the counter and the residents made their way to their newly cleaned rooms

"That" panted Allen "Was too close for comfort" Alexi nodded wearily and Mai flopped dramatically onto the floor and pretended to snore. Allen laughed and scooped her up, cradling her like a little baby "Aw the poor little thing" He teased, holding her tighter when she tried to wriggle out so an all out wrestling match ensued which eventually, he let her win wailing in fake pain as she held him in an arm-lock with Alexi cheering her on. The three of them walked through town together after realising that Alexi's house was only two hills away from their holiday cottage. Allen and Mai waved goodbye to her when they reached the small house and after helping Mai change into her pyjamas and scrub her teeth, Allen collapsed on his bed, too exhausted to even notice the uncomfortable mattress before he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>Simply keeping on top of the mess wasn't quite so difficult after the major clean up so Allen mostly cleaned while Alexi worked her way through the mountain of paperwork that had accumulated over the year. Allen was a little concerned about her though, from the sounds of things her father had more or less become a recluse since the death of her mother- locking himself in his room and refusing to come to work at all. Thankfully so far, the patrons of his charity hadn't caught on because the workers and Alexi had kept it going but as soon as school started up again, it would be impossible her to work. It was inevitable then that they would find out and shut the home down leaving her father with no means of income. Not only that though- his depression had meant that she was not only bereft of a mother but of a father too and although she seemed cheerful, Allen knew that no matter how tough she was this was difficult for her. He was doing his best to cheer her up, taking her and Mai out for walks in the countryside, allowing her to show them all the best spots for picnics and rooting through bookshops for the best reads but he got the distinct impression that there was something really bothering her. Eventually after he had finished clearing up the kitchen for the night, he forcibly took her by the arm and dragged her from her little cupboard of papers and sat her down in the now deserted dining room. He shoved a big mug of steaming tea and two chocolate cookies over to her and sat back in his chair with his arms stubbornly crossed<p>

"You are not leaving this room till you tell me what's bugging you" He said firmly. Alexi looked slightly confused "But there's nothing..." Allen held his hand up, halting her mid speech and pulled out a notebook, clearing his throat importantly

"In the past four days you have: Run your fingers through your hair in frustration 20 times, Sighed in exasperation 36 times, sighed in irritation-there is a big difference in the tone of the sigh- 15 times, gazed thoughtfully into space 8 times... shall I carry on?" A reluctant grin worked its way across her face and she leant forward, tugging the book out of his hand

"Wow, you actually _did_ write all that down" She said, sounding somewhat impressed

"Oh fine then!" She cried in exasperation when he fixed her with a mock serious look "I think something bad is happening to the homeless people"

* * *

><p>Alexi turned the make shift light she had constructed out of a torch and some string on revealing a somewhat organised mass of papers. She dug through the piles, pulling out reports and roll calls, setting them side by side<p>

"See here, this is the roll call from last year, just before... just before my dad stopped coming in to work. See all those ones I have highlighted? They are the regulars, the ones that come if not every night, at least three or four times a week and see" She spread out the weekly roll calls for the rest of the year and on each one, the number of highlighted names grew smaller and smaller. Allen frowned as he leaned in peering closer at the lists

"It seems to drop by roughly the same number each time" He murmured, lining them up with each other "The first week, there was a big reduction but after that, it seems to have settled down to around two or three a week and that's not accounting for all the ones who only showed up once or twice. Have you said anything to anyone?" Alexi shook her head dismally, sighing and running her fingers through her hair

"No one would listen to me- I mean I have no proof and to be honest with you, most people don't really care" Allen stretched across and pulled some of the individual's files out of the bundle, flicking through their information

"So what are we thinking? Human trafficking?" Alexi shook her head and opened her mouth to answer but at that point, Mai came into the room, sleepily trailing her teddy behind her and rubbing her eyes "Jibo I'm bored" She whined in an I-am-going-to-kick-off-if-I-don't-get-my-way voice

"Just a minute Mai" Allen replied impatiently, picking up another handful of files but at that she started to cry loudly, stamping her little feet on the ground in the beginnings of a temper tantrum. Allen opened his mouth to reprimand her but Alexi put her a finger over his lips and shook her head with a small smile "It can wait until tomorrow- there's nothing we can do this late anyway" Allen reluctantly nodded and replaced the files into the cupboard. It took a good ten minutes to calm Mai back down again and coax her out the door so that he could make the long trek home with her wrapped up in blankets, cradled in his arms. She fell asleep long before he got back to the little cottage which was once again deserted- Dumbledore must be working late. Again. Allen awkwardly fished the keys out of his pocket and opened the door with his elbow, doing his utmost not to disturb Mai. He gently tipped her into her bed and re-adjusted the blankets around her before going into his own room. He sat down on the window seat which he had discovered was significantly more comfortable than the actual bed. Despite being physically exhausted, he couldn't sleep- his brain wouldn't shut down and he kept going over and over the list of names, wondering what had happened to them, where they were now, if they were still alive. Eventually he fell into an unsettled doze, full of large shadowy figures that disappeared as soon as he turned to face them.

* * *

><p>Allen turned up at work the next say with dark bags under his eyes- a look which Alexi was also sporting. He was distracted throughout the whole morning which caused all of his jobs to take twice as much time as they normally would but eventually he cleared up the last of the breakfast plates and sat out on the small porch swing that hung from the single fruitless apple tree which filled most of the small garden as the home had no porch. Alexi joined him with the files and Mai quite happily began a game of make believe with her dolls on the withered grass. Alexi handed Allen over a small handful of the files "This is why I don't think it could be traffickers" She swept her short hair behind her ear and pointed to one of the papers "See here, this person was dying from AIDS- we had been getting him medicine but..." She shrugged her shoulders and left the sentence unfinished "This one here, he was 54 years old and was lame in one leg and she was so mentally unwell she could hardly hold a conversation. It just makes no sense- why would they take them?" She fixed her eyes on Allen's desperately searching for answers but he had none.<p>

"It is possible that these were opportunistic crimes and they didn't know who they were snatching but for such a careful organisation, that would make no sense. There is very little point in theorising though- we need evidence. I don't suppose you know the places that these people frequented? We could ask questions of the people there, canvas the area, maybe patrol and see if we can find any solid leads that we can bring to the police?" he asked, his voice quick and urgent. Alexi's face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. She ran off and dug up a map of the town, circling all the areas that she knew the homeless people gathered when they weren't in the home. They spent the rest of day writing up a plan of action- making patrol times and a list of all the items they would need. Excitement thrummed through the air as they gathered together torches, dark coloured clothes and a walkie talkie apiece complete with a list of code words. Allen left Mai in the charge of Dumbledore who thankfully was at home that night and set off to his assigned area of town, his black coat fastened right up to his throat and a black beanie pulled down over his silver hair. He settled down in a good lookout spot on the roof of an allotment garage which gave him a good view of his area while keeping him more or less invisible. For the first hour or two, he and Alexi kept to the plan and didn't speak at all over the system but after reading over the statements he had taken from the remaining residents for the tenth time, he got bored and they started to chat about everything and anything to help them pass the time. It was about four in the morning and Allen was lying flat on his stomach on the roof, viewing the street with half closed eyes as he and Alexi quoted film lines to each other across the walkie talkies "If in doubt, always follow your nose" He sleepily yawned into the speaker

Crackling across the system came Alexi's reply "You broke the smol... What was that!" Allen jerked to attention, sharply pulling the device away from his ear as her yell caused a squawk of feedback "What's happening!" he shouted back, panicked. There was a burst of static and a few disjointed words flew through "I just saw... huge... can't see what..." Allen scrambled to his feet and set off at a sprint in the general direction of Alexi's area. The walkie talkie burst into life again, this time a little more clear "Sorry, panicked. I just saw something. You're going to think I am crazy. Oh my gosh what happened to him" She trailed off into a panicked whine, sounding like at any minute she was going to burst into tears. "Get out of there Alexi" Allen said, as calmly as he could, changing direction "Go to your house, I'll meet you there and you can tell me what you saw. Just keep calm and _get out of there_" He ran full pelt through the streets, hardly slowing for anything. All the while, terrifying thoughts swirled through his head about a mass murderer, mad axe man and every few seconds, he would call "You ok?" Through the walkie talkie and not relax until she replied "I'm OK" They kept this dialogue up until eventually he called "You OK?" and she tapped him on the shoulder replying "I'm fine" Through shuddering gasps of air. They embraced tightly and with trembling hands, she unlocked the front door. They both fell through the door as soon as it opened and she ran up stairs immediately with Allen close on her heels. She swung into her room and collapsed onto her bed wrapping her duvet tight around her trembling shoulder as she tried to calm her juddering breaths. When her breathing had eventually returned to normal, she told Allen her story

"There was a man walking down the street and he looked a bit suspicious but I didn't really think anything of it but then he sort of froze and jerked- I thought he was having a fit- but then he... he. A thing..." She was struggling for words and was still shaking

"You won't believe me. _I _don't believe me" Allen reached forward and gripped her shoulders tight, fixing his gaze on hers. Trepidation was building up in his mind and he had a horrible feeling that he knew exactly what she was going to say

"There was a huge monster inside him Allen, It burst out of his body and killed one of the sleeping homeless people. It was horrible. Bulbous and black with these cannons" She shuddered and fixed her gaze on Allen "What was it?"

Allen took a deep breath to steel himself, he was just about to tell her the truth when the front door swing open with a loud bang and his eye activated

* * *

><p>Alexi gave a strangled scream as the gears in Allen's eye whirred panickedly, informing him that this Akuma was like nothing he had ever faced before<p>

"What is going on, Allen! What happened to your eye?" Allen scrambled off the bed caught between keeping Alexi calm and sprinting downstairs to save her from the Akuma

"The monster you saw is here Alexi, my eye detects those kinds of creatures. I can fight it but you _need_ to get out of here. Now!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the corridor but she pulled back gasping "No, Dad" she half fell into one of the other rooms crying for her father to get up and come out but there was no sound from within the room. She ran back to the door, her eyes wild "He's not there Allen, He's not there" He could hear the desperation in her voice and he felt a horrible sinking sensation in his stomach as he started to piece together what had happened

"Listen Alexi" He said, his voice low and urgent "That monster you saw, remember how it looked like a man first" Alexi nodded her head, her lips pressed tightly together and her face stark white "Well this creature, it can take on the appearance of humans but I can tell what it really is with my eye- your father hasn't been acting like himself for a long time now has he?" He could see something of understanding dawn in her dark eyes

"Hey sweetheart, what are you doing up so late? And who is this?" came a smooth voice from the bottom of the stairs. The two teenagers spun around and Allen placed himself in front of Alexi, spreading his arms out protectively

"Just tell me" Alexi whispered, her voice trembling "Please just tell me. Is that my Daddy" And slowly Allen shook his head. She gave a small sob and Allen activated his arm. The face of the middle age man who stood in front of them contorted into a twisted mask of fury and bitterness "_Exorcist" _He hissed and the skin which the monster was wearing shuddered and rippled as it tore itself free revealing its true form. Alexi gave a soft whimper of fear, her nails digging painfully into Allen's shoulders as she clung to him. The creature that emerged was unlike any other Akuma Allen had ever seen, though there was no doubt it was an Akuma- there was the soul that he figured was Alexi's mothers, but it was twisted and tortured beyond anything he had ever seen before. His stomach turned at the very sight of it and it was all that he could do not to be sick. The Akuma itself was different- it looked almost human with a distinctive torso, legs and arms that ended in cruel talons. A huge manic grin was stretched impossibly across its face from cheek to cheek and it appeared to have no eyes

"What's wrong exorcist?" It hissed the grin stretching even further "You scared?"

Allen bared his teeth in anger and recklessly threw himself at the creature, hoping to gain enough time for Alexi to make it out the door but the Akuma easily side-stepped him and hit him with a blow that sent him flying. He landed hard on a coffee table, snapping it down the middle with a resounding crack. Allen was forced to throw himself recklessly back at the creature as his foolish move had left Alexi completely unprotected. The creature clawed at him, scratching shallow furrows across his chest. Allen rolled back to the foot of the stairs, his arm clutched around his stomach.

"Alexi, get out now" He yelled, trying to ignore the burning sensation in his stomach and the horrible thought that he was in serious trouble and the Akuma didn't even seem to be trying very hard. It stood there, its head cocked to one side, the manic grin stretching its already disfigured face even more out of proportion. Alexi crept down behind Allen and made a mad dash for the door but just before she reached it, the Akuma reached out his hand and shot a bolt of what looked like liquid flames at it causing it to immediately burst into flames. Alexi yelled in shock and fell backwards onto the ground. The Akuma immediately bore down on her, its hand outstretched but before it could reach her, Allen cannoned into it side and locked it in combat, exchanging fierce blows and earning himself another long scratch on his cheek. Blood slowly trickled down his face as he wrestled with the creature trying to gain the upper hand. Flames crackled and snapped around him as they spread from the door to the furniture. The Akuma leaned close into Allen

"I am going to kill you exorcist and devour that little girl. My master will reward me richly when I return to him" It giggled ominously "Or perhaps I won't kill you myself, I shall let you watch me kill the girl and leave the flames to devour your pitiful body" his laughter grew louder

"I won't let you touch her" Allen yelled, desperately pulling on every fighting skill he had ever learnt while silently cursing himself for not bringing his wand. A good '_augmenti'_ charm would not go amiss here. The Akuma just laughed all the louder

"You think you can defeat me, you puny little child" And he dealt Allen a dizzying blow, turned his hand palm up and shot an intense stream of flames towards Allen's innate body. He wildly twisted his body out of the way, initiating a desperate game of 'tig' with the monster only the ramifications of losing this game were much more daunting than any he had played before. The staircase behind him rushed up in flames, the heat searing his skin as he sprinted past. The air he sucked into his lungs seemed to catch his very chest on fire as it burned its way down his throat, choking him. He had to get Alexi out of there. She was curled up on the floor sheltering under one of the tables with her hoodie pulled up over her mouth and nose. Allen pulled himself up short when he reached the open plan kitchen. Using magic had obviously made him complacent- he needed to start using his brain. He plunged his arm through the kitchen unit that held the sink, gripping the water pipes in his cursed arm before wrenching them out causing a gout of water to burst from them, twisting them so that they hit the Akuma. He followed this up with an attack, using the spray of water to hide his approach but while he ran, he caught up an ugly metal statue and threw it with all his might through the window above Alexi's head and gestured wildly at her to get through it before he collided once again with the monster, wrestling him to the ground and pummelling him with his cursed arm. The Akuma just laughed and threw Allen off, seemingly unaffected by the blows

"Do you think that will stop me, puny boy? You will watch while I feast on her..." But Allen didn't let it finish

"You will never touch a hair on her head" he roared and he could feel something change within him, his arm rippled and changed, growing heavy and re shaping. He instinctively raised his arm and, working in perfect synchrony with his body without even realising what had happened, he sent a barrage of white bullets towards the Akuma. They collided with his torso and cut off his horrible laughter and replacing it with an inhumane screech. Allen yelled too as he channelled all his energy into the cannon his arm had given him. Finally, he cut off the stream of bullets and collapsed to his knees, coughing and chocking on the smoky air but as the smoke cleared the Akuma came forward, still standing. The manic grin was gone and instead a snarl was twisting his face "I will tear you limb from limb you pitiful little exorcist" It snarled as it staggered forward. Allen forced himself back to his feet and charged, knocking the creature to the ground. He let out a scream of pain as it shot a stream of hot magma at him, it caught his shoulder and set his top on fire but Allen just screwed his face up and clung all the tighter, placing his new weapon up against the monsters head

"Pitiful Akuma" He chocked out between clenched teeth "May. Your. Soul. Be. Saved" and he shot.

* * *

><p>Alexi watched as her house burned down, barely noticing the tears as they streamed down her face. She stood as close as she could bear to the blazing building, the heat of the flames evaporating the tears almost as soon as they slipped out of her eyes<p>

"Allen!" She screamed into the flames, straining to catch a glimpse of him through the smoke. There was a deafening crack and the back half of the building shuddered as something inside collapsed, consumed by the fire. Suddenly she saw something move though the shadowy smoke. She drew back in fear- it didn't look human but as it collapsed over the sill of the window, she saw the familiar silver hair and she ran forward, sobbing in relief as she dragged her friends limp body away from the house, rolling him over and over in the grass, trying to put out the flames that were licking his shoulder. His body shuddered as he coughed and spluttered trying to get the thick smoke out of his lungs. Alexi helped him up and they both started when they heard the faint woop of a siren in the distance "Someone must have seen the smoke and called the fire brigade" Alexi said, nervously tugging Allen further back as the building shuddered again. Allen struggled to his feet, stumbling and almost falling over. Alexi tried to pull him back down to the grass but he staggered away shaking his head "I have to go Alexi- I can't let them find me here. You need to lie to them, I'm sorry but you _need_ to. They will think you are insane if you tell them the truth. Just tell them that you woke up with the house on fire and you escaped through the window. Please Alexi, I can't get involved in this" He turned in the direction of the sirens as they grew louder and looked pleadingly down at Alexi who was still clinging on to his arm "Promise me Allen" She said urgently, her gaze burning "Promise you will explain everything to me" He nodded and lent down embracing her

"I swear I will tell you everything later but I need to go now. They will lock us both up in a mental asylum if we tell them what really happened. Trust me, it's for the best" Alexi reluctantly nodded and released her grip on Allen. He glanced worriedly down the lane before turning his back on the blazing house and limping off as fast as he could in the direction of his house just as the sun started to kiss the fields, shedding light on the scene of disaster. He held out right up till he reached the door of the cottage at which point his legs gave up on him and he crumpled in a heap on the ground, his vision flickering, showing him teasing glimpses of the door, of Dumbledore's worried face, of the narrow entrance hall and then darkness

* * *

><p>Allen wondered through the bleach white hospital, holding a sheet of paper with directions on it as he meandered from one corridor to the other, utterly convinced that he had been past this door at least twice before. Eventually, he was rescued by a kind nurse and shown into the ward Alexi was in. She was sitting up in her bed, a drip attached to her arm and a ventilator sitting beside her. Her face lit up when she saw him and he smiled at her, handing over a poorly wrapped box.<p>

"It's a little get-better-soon gift" He said shyly. Alexi tore into it in delight and laughed when she pulled out a huge jar of strawberry bon-bon's along with a bon-bon scented candle and air freshener. At the bottom of the box, was a leather bound version of the book she had been reading when she knocked Allen off his feet with a little handwritten note inside '_sometimes good things come even from bad beginnings'_ She reached across the bed and embraced him gingerly, trying to avoid touching either of their burns before fixing him with a solemn look and saying

"OK, now it's time to explain" Allen proceeded to tell her everything. He hadn't told Dumbledore that he was planning on doing this but he knew that it was the right thing to do- she deserved to know exactly what had happened to her father otherwise it was very possible that the Earl would appear to her and offer her the same deal he offered her father. When he had finished, there was a long silence until "So, he is definitely dead then, my father" Allen nodded and she pressed her lips tightly together, nodding back. She lasted almost five minutes before bursting into tears and as she sobbed, Allen held her, not even bothering to try and offer any empty consolations just saying

"Let it out, it's fine" Eventually, the tears dried up and she sat up, drying her face. She seemed almost calm and she gave a small sad smile "I guess he died a long time ago really" Allen held her hand in his own and told her that he had taken care of the home, written to the charity and arranging for help to come so it would keep running. There was still a job there for her, if she could take it. Alexi nodded listlessly, only wakening from her stupor when Allen made to leave and she just whispered "Please. Stay" So he stayed and sat with her, stroking her hair until she fell asleep against him, her face becoming peaceful as she escaped into the beautiful world of dreams. It was with a heavy heart that Allen left the village the next week. Even with the promise to keep in contact with Alexi, he couldn't help but feel a yearning that he had never felt before- a yearning to be normal. To have a house and friends and a job with no fighting or responsibilities. With a small sigh, he hefted the last of the suitcases into the car and gazed around the small town for the last time before closing the car door behind him with a snap.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N**

**Diavo- Thank you so much for all you kind comments :D Potions in my mind have the same effect as spells, they use the bodies resources but speed up the process or neurtalize poisons the body can't neutralise on its own but they still rely on the body's energy, otherwise the hospital wing and st Mungo's would be completely redundant**

**Sonnenfrost- Thnk you :) I needed to find some way for an Akuma to cover its tracks while living in a town and that seemed the best way- horrible as it is, its just true that people don't really care about the homeless so they seemed like the ones that noone would notice dissapearing**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- YAY ^^ Me too :P**

**777angeloflove- Me too :/ she's a tough cookie though, she'll be fine :)**

**Akuma Lee Crimson- Don't worry, this year there will be 'the meeting' though it won't be for a wee bit yet sorry :/**

Allen waved over to Hermione and Harry as they finally reached the Great Hall, gesturing to the free seats beside him and Ron. They made their way through the press to reach them as quickly as possible, both trying to ignore the stares that followed them. Malfoy had obviously been filling in as many people as physically possible about the dementor incident and Harry felt like the entire student body was judging him. They collapsed gratefully into the seats and tried to look unflustered as Dumbledore began his speech. The Great Hall was buzzing with excited chatter as the students greeted new additions to their houses and dug into the delicious food, one topic dominating all the conversations- Dementors. Allen greeted them with a smile when they finally got a chance to talk "It's good to see you all again" He said politely but Hermione ignored the formal greeting and threw her arms around him. Allen's eyes widened with surprise but he then relaxed into the hug, blushing faintly

"How come you lot were so late" He asked, staring around the hall at the bustling body of teenagers, the excitement and nervous practically tangible in the air

"Woah mate, you first. What _happened _to you?" Ron exclaimed, completely ignoring the question and staring blatantly at Allen's bandaged arm and suspiciously padded robes which he apparently hadn't noticed all throughout the sorting

"Oh, nothing really" Allen said airily, giving Ron a meaningful look "Had an argument with a couple of adolescent salamanders when I was helping Hagrid in the grounds" He gave a rather pointed look to the surrounding eavesdropping students who- realising that they had been discovered- began talking loudly to each other and Ron flushed "Sorry" he muttered under his breath. Harry immediately became Mai's personal playground as she scrambled onto his lap without so much as a 'if you please'

"Hey Kiniiri!" She squealed in excitement, wrapping her arms around his neck but before he could recover from the shock and greet her in return, she turned around and began playing quite contentedly with the cutlery on the table, utterly ignoring him.

"Kiniiri?" Ron asked curiously. Harry flushed darkly

"Ah, nothing. Erm, you were asking about the train Allen?" He shot Allen a pointed look and he took the hint, repeating his question. Thankfully Ron hardly noticed the change in topic and he began to tell an- only slightly- exaggerated recount of the events on the train. His version oddly enough left out the bit where he panicked and according to him, he had managed to wrestle with the creature before Lupin 'finished it off' without anyone else noticing which was quite a fete if you thought about it. Harry and Hermione exchanged longsuffering looks before filling Allen in on what _really_ happened. To Harry's relief, Allen didn't so much as bat an eyelid when he heard that Harry had collapsed and merely shuddered, thanking his luck stars that he hadn't been on the train. Once the noise in the hall had reached its standard close-to-deafening level, Harry repeated Ron's question/ Allen shrugged rather dismissivly and told them he'd had a rather bad run in with a pairomaniac Akuma. Harry and Ron both accepted this without much though and resumed their previous discussion about exactly how likely it was that Hagrid would set them a fire-demon as their first lesson

"You'd better watch it Allen" Ron joked "By the end of the year you'll have more burns than Charlie!" Hermione however didn't join in the laughter and watched Allen closely, curiosity written all over her face

" I thought Akuma were easy enough to handle. You've never been burnt before. What changed?"

Allen squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutiny

"Really it's nothing. This one was just a little stronger than what I'm used to. It happens" He proceeded to stuff copious amounts of every surrounding dish into his mouth to ward off any more questions. Hermione however- used to Ron as a friend- didn't let this deter her. If there was one thing she hated more than anything else it was being in the dark. And she was concerned about Allen's safety. That too...

"So can they all shoot fire" She inquired, making it clear that she wasn't about to drop the subject "Why have you never been burnt before?"

Allen gulped down his mouthful of food, frantically trying to think of a way to get her off his back

"This one was just different" He said, smiling his best I-am-absolutely-fine smile

"Most can't do that but don't worry, from now on out I'm going to be much more careful. It won't happen again"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing a word he was saying

"How come Madame Pomfrey hasn't fixed you up yet? You must've given Dumbledore quite a scare, coming home burnt to a crisp!" Ron chipped in, grinning ear to ear at the thought of a blackened, smoking Allen arriving at Dumbledore's doorstep. Allen took a deep breath, resigning himself to answering all their questions

"Akuma are magical creatures so the normal remedies don't work and Dumbledore was worried yeah, but he's fine now" Thankfully at this stage Hagrid came and distracted them from their cross-examination leaving Allen to recover and dwell on the unpleasant memory of exactly how Dumbledore _had_ reacted to his injuries

* * *

><p>"<em>...completely irresponsible and utterly foolish. What on earth do you think you were doing, putting yourself in such a dangerous position without so much as informing me? Especially considering the delicate situation we now find ourselves in- the entire wizarding community is in uproar, the authorities on high alert, watching every single suspicious event for a hint of Black's whereabouts. What were you planning on doing if they had found out you were involved in that fire? How would you have talked your way out of that?" Dumbledore paced the floor furiously as he ranted. Allen listlessly watched him, not even bothering to try and reply. He <em>had _been stupid but most of all he was just too exhausted to even bother trying to defend himself. He only snapped out of his silence after Dumbledore suggested they wipe Alexi's memory as insurance_

"_That would not be the best approach" He said as calmly as possible, clenching his gloved hands tightly together and doing his utmost to keep his expression calm and blasé "So far this just looks like a house fire- if you interfere in such a large way, it would seriously increase the chances that we would be linked to it. What reason would you have to visit her? And wouldn't it be even more suspicious if she could remember nothing about the fire?" Dumbledore conceded the point and sat down on the chair opposite Allen with a sigh. He looked drained Allen noticed sympathetically- how he managed to juggle all the responsibilities he took on despite his obvious age Allen would never understand_

"_Look, I know it is tough for you having all this on your shoulders at such a young age but you must realise, I put this pressure on you because I know you can handle it. You managed to look after that little toerag" He gestured affectionately to the dozing Mai "So I know that I can trust you to take care of both your educational and moral demands without letting the two clash. I am just warning you that you are going to find that much harder in the coming year. We are to have Dementors placed around the school against my express objections and we are to be watched closer than we ever have been before. I _need _to know that I can trust you to do your job discreetly and to avoid __ever getting yourself into this kind of situation again"_

* * *

><p>Allen had solemnly sworn to follow this command to the letter with absolutely no idea as to exactly how he would pull it off. Dumbledore had informed him of a passage that led out into a small wizarding town nearby Hogwarts. It had previously been blocked but he had cleared it for Allen's use however as a precaution against anyone else using it, Allen had needed to recite a blood-vow so that only he would be able to enter it. He had also had to perfect the disillusionment charm over the remaining week of the holiday until he passed Dumbledore's inspection. It was not however getting out that troubled Allen, it was the Akuma. He had no idea what he would do if he was ever faced with a level two again. It was pure luck that he had survived the last attack and despite many attempts, he had been unable to activate his innocence to the gun-form again and without that he knew he had no chance whatsoever of so much as injuring it. He wished he had someone to explain to him why his arm had done what it had done and how he could make it do it again but unless he had plans to sign up to the black order, he would just have to puzzle through this himself. He was just going to have to do what he could, which included a strict exercise programme- he had become complacent over the past year, with comfort and safety surrounding him and he had lost many of the skills he had honed while living on the streets but he was just going to have to buckle down again and get his head back in the game. This was no time to be slacking. The next morning a surprised Harry woke up to see Allen performing press ups on a chair precariously balanced on one leg. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times to be sure that he wasn't still asleep<p>

"What are you doing mate?" He asked incredulously. Allen started at the noise and the already unstable chair wobbled then skidded across the stone floor. Allen pushed off the backrest at the last moment, landing in a handstand on the floor and letting his legs down behind him so he ended up in a bridge position looking at Harry upside down

"You gave me the fright of my life" He moaned, slowly lowering himself to the floor where he lay trying to regain his breath

"What were you doing?" Harry repeated weakly, feeling like he had just aged a decade, watching him tumble toward the unforgiving floor

"It was just an exercise I used to do while I was in the circus" Allen replied, getting up off the floor and straitening himself off, tugging his gloves more firmly over his hands "Need to keep in shape" He grinned and then his stomach let of an ungodly growl. The two boys laughed and after waking up a sleepy Ron, they made their way down to the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>"He really is rather rude" Allen observed as they walked past Malfoy, who was taking great pleasure out of mocking Harry. Ron and Harry both exchanged incredulous looks<p>

"Rude is the word you are going to choose to describe Malfoy?" Ron asked, his voice indignant. He then proceeded to reel off a long list of the things you could be justified in calling Malfoy. Rude did not make the list oddly enough

"_Ron!" _exclaimed Hermione as she caught the tail end of the conversation. Ron merely shrugged and gave her a you-know-its-true look, piling as much food as he could onto his plate before Allen could reach the table. Recovering from her indignation, Hermione started to geek-out over her new school subjects, attracting some unwanted attention to her overly crowded timetable

"Talking of school" She said loudly over Ron's inquiries "Isn't Mai starting school?" Allen started at the sound of Mai's name and peered around his teetering mountain of bangers and mash, somewhat resembling a chipmunk with his cheeks stuffed full of food. He nodded in conformation as he swallowed "Yeah, Dumbledore insisted on hiring a tutor personally. You should have seen the number of interviews we had! There were a couple brownies I really liked but Dumbledore said that they would have just spoiled her rotten and there was a fairy we contemplated for a while however her voice- gave you a splitting headache so eventually we settled on a dryad called Rhamnella. She's strict enough to keep even Mai in line. Nice though" As soon as she heard Mai was being taught by a dryad Hermione's eyes lit up and she began to inform the definitely not even vaguely interested boys about every minute detail of their race. "I wonder if she'd let me ask her a few questions?" She mused out loud to no one in particular as the group made their long and winding way to the North tower, stopping frequently to try and regain their breath and bearings

"Probably best if you don't" Allen said rolling his eyes at her back "Don't want to disturb Mai from her studies"

"Oh no of course not!" Hermione exclaimed, sounding shocked that he would even suggest such a thing. The boys all smirked at each other

"Ah I give up!" Harry moaned in desperation and turned to the nearest painting to ask directions

* * *

><p>Eventually the group made their slow way around the last spiral in the staircase and stood at the top, panting until they had regained their breath. Allen looked in trepidation at the trapdoor in the ceiling<p>

"What's the matter Allen? Afraid of heights" Ron smirked

"Nah" Allen replied glumly "Just not a fan of fortune tellers. Dumbledore bullied me into taking this stupid subject- something about 'trying new things' and 'broadening my horizons' If I don't like this class, I am swapping strait to ancient ruins. Sounds so much more fun" He missed the look that Harry and Ron exchanged as the ladder descended from the ceiling and slowly the whole class ascended into the perfume and pouffe filled room. Trelawney made her way around the students, airily predicting tragedies wherever she paused along the way. She passed by Allen on her way to inform Dean that he would sprain his ankle in the near future and Allen breathed a sigh of relief into his cup of tea but then

"Wait!" Trelawney roared causing the entire class to jump and poor Neville to land on the floor for the second time. She slowly turned around, her head tilted back to the ceiling and her arms outstretched, trembling "There is darkness, such darkness" Her voice was harsh, quite unlike the breathy tones she had previously been using. She stopped abruptly in from of Allen and lowered her gaze to his

"Ah yes. Your curse not only fills your aura but your very appearance- you are marred by your fate. The desperate past. The hopeless battle. The dark future. And the shadow. The growing shadow. You feel it, don't you, feeding and growing and solidifying, eating at your soul. Gnawing at your very being" Her eyes filled up her glasses as she leaned closer to the wide-eyes Allen

"Who are you?" She hissed

Allen shakily got to his feet, his face blanched but expressionless. He opened his mouth as if to say something, and the entire class watched him, the silence so heavy, it seemed to press down on him, restricting his lungs. He then turned around and left without a word, pulling open the trapdoor then letting it shut quietly behind him

Trelawney started with surprise, now bereft of her centrepiece then her eyes lit up again when she saw Harry "Let us take a look at your cup dear" She said, a creepy grin filling her face

* * *

><p>Allen blindly strode through the school, paying no attention to where he was going and eventually choosing a door at random to walk through so that he wouldn't end up meeting Mrs Norris or Filtch along his way. The room he walked into was surprisingly huge and thankfully completely deserted. To Allen's pleasant surprise, he found it full of training devices- dummies, swords, punching bags, weights and whole cupboards overflowing with other such things. He set to it with a will, hammering his frustration out on the punch bag until the sweat poured down his face. He continued pummelling it until he heard the bell go in the back of his mind. He caught the swinging bag and lent his forehead against it, his chest heaving<p>

"Tch, call that punching?" came an irritated voice to his left. Allen swung around with a yell of fear to see a flickering hologram instructor, looking as bored as a hologram can

"Idiot apprentice, you'll need to do much better than that" It sneered. Allen squinted at in, waving his hand in front of its eyes- nope, definitely a hologram- it must have been left by whoever owned all this stuff. Ignoring the insults that were thrown after him, Allen picked up his bag and schooled his expression back to its usual passive state before exiting the room, taking careful note of the rooms position before making his way to Transfiguration


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N- Quick note here- Just to tell you something you'll already have noticed- My updates are slowing, and I don't think I'm going to be able to post much faster so just a heads up, the once a week thing probably won't continue. My posts will _probably_ be either a Thursday or a Saturday but I'm just too busy to keep up the speed I had before, sorry :/**

**sammi117- Nah, Allen is far too passive aggressive to actually hit anyone. Unless its Malfoy. But he doesn't count**

**Guest- :D Got it in one! **

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Thank you muchly ^^ I'm really pleased your enjoying it so much! **

**Diavo- I don't know, pairings are sort of danger ground for me. Might have AllenxGinny... though I quite liked the idea of AllenxLuna too. Whatever I do though there will be no Roadxanyone. This fanfic is supposed to be true to life and I refuse to believe that any of my characters would fall in love with someone so twisted... though I do like lighter fanfics that pull it off :) AllenxRoad are usually pretty cute though only after the OOC them to death**

**Sonnenfrost- Thank you for the feedback! I hope this chapter is a bit better that way though I do see your meaning- I think because I am writing this in chunks I lose sight of the story as a whole and forget to develop certain parts**

**Origami Lotus- Maaaaaaybe. I couldn't resist it! (ps, awesome username)**

**Akuma Lee Crimson- :3 Hehe, I just had to do it!**

**Coronadomontes- Thank you and... sort of. Err... for now, the Akuma will steer clear of the wizarding community. They are weak at present and are working their way through the weaker humans to become more powerful and then yes they will start attacking wizards as for Voldemort, that is a bit more complicated. Not really, he doesn't care one way or the other about exorcists but remember he is in partnership with the Earl who does so... we shall see :)**

**RhiannonWolf- Ah thanks! Appologies for making you cry so much :P I slipped a little parental Allen in here for you. I totally agree, he makes a great dad...**

Harry let out an audible sigh of relief when Allen entered the room and the class's stares ceased to bore into the back of his head and focused instead on the white haired boy as he made his sedate way down the classroom to sit in the empty seat beside Ron, seeming oblivious to the sensation his presence had caused. Ron shot him a rather uneasy look

"Err... are you... I mean... are you OK?" He muttered under his breath, his whisper unusually loud in the silent classroom. Allen smiled reassuringly

"Of course I am" He said chirpily "Though I don't think Divination is the class for me. I might try ancient ruins, it sounds much more my style. How did the rest of the class go?" There was an awkward silence and Harry was more grateful than he even had been before for Professor McGonagall's strictness as she swept into the classroom, effectively silencing all chatter and saving him from having to answer that question. Even though he had been on the receiving end of Trelawney's exuberant predictions, Harry couldn't help but wonder about what she had meant by her prediction about Allen. As much as he hated to admit it, there had been a grain of truth in her predictions about him, after all, he _had_ seen the Grim and as Hermione had pointed out he _did_ have someone out to kill him. He had seen something in Allen's face when she had been mouthing off, something he couldn't quite put his finger on which made him wonder what it was about her prediction that had touched him enough to make his pristine mask slip. The thing he was struggling with was what it could have been in her speech that had scared him so much- sure the whole 'devouring shadow' thing had been creepy but as to what it had actually meant he had no idea at all. He would have to ask Hermione. He was snapped out of his ponderings by Professor McGonagall's irate question and was distracted once again by the taboo that now seemed to be attached with his name

* * *

><p>Allen was making his way to Ancient Ruins to ask about switching classes when he was accosted by a rather flustered looking Hermione<p>

"Allen, I really need to talk to you" She panted breathlessly, having sprinted up the corridor to reach him

"If this is about Divination.." Allen started warningly but Hermione shook her head firmly

"It's not. Not really. Sort of though. Ah, come here" She grabbed his arm and yanked him into one of the deserted classrooms, pushing him down into one of the chairs and pacing uneasily in front of him. She seemed at a loss for what to say and her naturally thick hair had expanded to about twice its usual impressive size as a result of her running her fingers through it too often. Allen was just about to ask what was bothering her when she ceased her frantic marching and faced him square on, her eyes alight with a rather frightening fire. Allen shrunk back slightly in his chair and prepared himself for the worst

"You need to _swear _on your life that you won't mention a word of what I am about to tell you to anyone else and I mean _anyone_. Not Harry, not Ron, not Mai. _Do you understand?" _She said suddenly, fixing him with a look that Professor McGonagall would have been proud of. Allen nodded his head vigorously and tried to look as serious and not-creeped-out as he could. Hermione however seemed unconvinced

"My entire school career depends on you being able to keep this secret Allen" She growled "If you mess this up for me, so help me I will use every jinx and curse I know on you all at once" Allen shrunk back even further and gulped- Hermione may not be a very violent person but he knew that when school and work came into the equation, all of her ethics went out the window. He didn't even want to contemplate the terrible fate that awaited him if he inadvertently exposed whatever deep dark secret she had so he shook his head with equal vigour, waving his hands in front of himself

"I won't breathe a word, I swear" He laughed nervously, his mind racing through all the possibilities- Hermione: Leader of a Honeydukes smuggling band, Hermione: Chief of after hours library club, Hermione: Co-conspirator of NEWT textbook-napping. He was not disappointed however as Hermione told him all about the time turner and exactly why it was that she was going to be at ancient ruins at the same time she was at Divination and at the same time she was at Muggle studies .

There was a long silence after she had finished speaking where Allen said nothing and just sort of sat there in a dazed silence

"So there is magic out there that... turns back time" He murmured, almost too quiet to hear. Hermione looked at him funny. There was an odd tone in his voice, almost longing? He didn't seem to even remember that she was there and just stared into space, a small smile on his face and a glazed look about him

"Allen?" Hermione said timidly after a few minutes had passed and he didn't appear to be snapping out of it any time soon. Allen jumped slightly and seemed to come back to Earth

"Why didn't Dumbledore use that to turn back time and kill Voldemort?" He asked suddenly and Hermione started at the odd question. She got the impression that she was treading on dangerous ground and there was something in Allen's face that was frightening her slightly. She inadvertently reached up to clutch the necklace as she answered

"It doesn't work like that Allen- Voldemort's existence is too key a thing to change. If Dumbledore did go back in time to the opportune moment and killed Voldemort then the entire world would change and the set of situations that led to him going back in time would not come to pass and would therefore nullify the action- theoretically that is. The ministry are too frightened of the idea of a time warp to test whether doing something like that would cause the world would end or the action to become un-done. Besides all that, you can only go back one day and even then you can only do so once. The stone this magic was derived from shatters as soon as you do so and there are very few in existence so I won't be attempting it any time soon" She frowned in concern as a shadow passed over Allen's face "Why?" She asked simply, watching him closely but he just shook his head and smiled, his cheerful demeanour firmly back in place

"It doesn't matter, I was just curious. Trust you Hermione to break the laws of time itself so that you could go to more classes! Just let me know if there is anything I can do to help you alright? You are going to have a lot on your plate, with three times as many subjects as the rest of us" He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder

"I won't say anything. I promise" and with that he left, the door swinging shut behind him. Hermione followed more slowly, still not completely sure of what had just happened and more than a little concerned about her friend

* * *

><p>Lavi slowly edged his way along one of the long winding passageways, carefully placing each foot as he slipped through one of the doors that was lying slightly open. A huge grin split his face as he spotted his prey- Kanda was sitting in the middle of the floor meditating or whatever. Honestly, that guy needed to get a life! He spent his life either fighting, meditating or eating that disgusting soba of his. He needed someone to snap him out of the rut he had gotten himself into and to teach him how to have fun. Thankfully, Lavi knew the very person. Him!<p>

"YUU!" He yelled joyfully, throwing himself at Kanda, his arms outstretched in full glomph-position however somehow Kanda reacted in time and leapt out of the way so that he stood scornfully over Lavi's crumpled body

"Tch Baka usage" He scoffed prodding Lavi's twitching body with his foot "How you have survived this long I will never understand" He turned to stalk superiorly away but Lavi clung to his ankle wailing like a spoilt child

"But Yuu! I'm _so bored!_ Spar with me. Oh please, oh please, oh please..." Kanda looked down his nose in disgust at the dramatic performance Lavi was giving and stomped his other foot in his face, cutting off his incessant pleadings

"I wouldn't waste my time or energy" He growled, tugging his foot away but Lavi just clung tighter

"But YUU! " He whined even louder causing Kanda's eyebrow to twitch with irritation "I wanna fight! No fair, you always spar but you never let me join in and I'm bored! Spar with me. Oh please, oh please!" Kanda let out an inarticulate growl of anger and unsheathed Mugen however before he had the chance to carve Lavi into bunny-shaped mincemeat, Lenalee walked through the door carrying a tray with steaming mugs of coffee. She stopped short as soon as she saw the two- Lavi wrapped around one of Kanda's legs snivelling and Kanda holding Mugen within a hairsbreadth of Lavi's neck. The both of them froze as soon as they saw her though their reactions were slightly different. Lavi unravelled himself from Kanda and was by Lenalee in a flash, his trademark grin back in place. Kanda merely tsked in annoyance at being deprived of a good chance to put that babyish bunny rabbit in its place and sheathed Mugen with more than a little reluctance. Lenalee put the tray down and looked from one to the other, hands on hips and a no-nonsense look on her face

"What's going on here" She said warningly. Lavi adopted a pout and puppy eyes

"I wanted to go spar with Kanda and he wouldn't let me! Make him Lenalee" He directed his pleading gaze in her direction and went down on his knees. Lenalee tried- and failed- to hide a smile at his antics and looked at Kanda who was staring stubbornly at the corner of the room avoiding her eyes and shifting his weight almost impercevably from one foot to the other in what could almost be described as nervousness. Lenalee's smile softened slightly as she noticed this and she decided not to push him

"Lavi" She said in a placatory tone "You can train with me as soon as I get this coffee to my brother OK? Let Kanda be for now- you'll just end up killing each other if you insist on irritating each other" Kanda let out a snort at this as if to say 'you think there is even the slightest chance that he could so much as injure me' Lenalee shook her head. It was not a good sign that she could interpret Kanda's many inarticulate grunts of irritation to such accuracy. Lavi wasn't too pleased with her decision either

"But I wanna spar with _Yuu!" _He wailed, pouting moodily

"DON'T CALL ME THAT" roared Kanda, his patience snapping and Mugen practically flying to his hand though he didn't attack despite the murderous glare he was now fixing on the cowering Lavi who was grinning cheekily from behind Lenalee

"Kanda, put the sword away" Lenalee said wearily and then she turned to Lavi, smiling sweetly

"I'll see you on the training field in five minutes OK?" Lavi missed the current of warning beneath the sugary sweetness and opened his mouth to protest but before he could get a word out, Lenalee's leg twitched warningly "O. Kay?" she repeated through slightly clenched teeth. Lavi gulped and nodded obediently

"Brilliant" She chirped and picked up the tray again, stalking out of the room. Kanda smirked at Lavi who sunk down on the floor in relief at his close escape

"She would use her Innocence even for that?" He whimpered in disbelief. Kanda snorted again and picked up Mugen who had been returned once again to his sheath before stalking out of the room and heading to the training ground with Lavi's wails echoing behind him

"No fair! You were going to go spar anyway!"

* * *

><p>Allen half-ran half-walked along the school corridors, clutching two cupcakes- a treat for him and Mai- in his hands and desperately hoping that he wouldn't run into Filch or Mrs Norris along the way. He sighed in relief when he finally reached the hospital wing and he slipped through into Mai's nursery, waving to Madame Pomfrey as he passed. Mai was already in her pyjamas, sitting in the middle of a circle of toys who were being lectured on their table manners. Allen crept up beside her and tapped her on the shoulder<p>

"Can I join the tea party? I know I'm late but I brought cupcakes" Mai let out a squeal of joy and jumped up to hug him before relieving him of one of the cupcakes and delving into it with pleasure. Allen felt his heart lighten once again as she told him all about what she had learned that day (she could count all the way to ten without making a single mistake!) and informing him about the behaviour of all her toys through the tea party (Mr Mistoffelees had spilt tea all down his front and was being forced to sit in the naughty corner). Her excited chatter filled up the silence and her eyes lit up with excitement until all at once her energy ran out and she stopped mid-flow, yawned and help out her arms in a silent demand to be put to bed. Allen chuckled in amusement and gently picked her up, kissing the crown of her head and lowering her into her cot-bed

"How about we go and visit Hagrid this weekend?" He said, smoothing the hair out of her face "He's had a tough week and I think it'd be nice to cheer him up" Mai snuggled down into her bed and sleepily replied

"Can't. Ella's taking me on a nature walk to count real live things" It took Allen a few seconds to make the connection between 'Ella' and 'Rhamnella'

"Ah that's ok" He said, slightly taken aback but his reply was lost on Mai as she was already fast asleep. He reached over and lit her bedside lamp before turning of the main light and exiting the room. He walked back to his dorm feeling a little wrong-footed without really being able to put his finger on why- It hadn't bothered him when Madame Pomfrey had looked after Mai so why was this bothering him now? He shook his head, putting it down to the exhausting day he had been through and firmly told himself to stop being so petty, however sleep did not come easily that night and when it came, his dreams were restless and confusing.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N- I warned you :) Yeah, it took longer than even I thought to write this up- I had the chapter in my head for weeks but life has been busy :P Enough of my excuses. Enjoy, and apologies but I think you may need to get used to late updates!**

**Akuma Lee Crimson- I'm glad I am managing to make things make a little bit of sense now :) I know I am developing the plot pretty slowly but ,hey! All the more time for suspense to build, am I right! I think this may turn out to be the longest fanfic in history :S**

**Raychaell Dionzeros- Please don't stop with the compliments! They keep me going :P I'm really glad you are enjoying this :D**

**Diavo- Thanks, the time turner thing was a little awkward. Sorry for my slip of tongue- that was quite arrogant actually, when I said my characters, I really ment JK Rowling and Hoshino. I love fanfics that use Road pairings like I said but I am writing this fanfic as a (relatively) serious story that is supposed to be fairly true to human nature etc and there is no way that in 'real life' any of the good characters would actually fall for someone who enjoys causing suffering as much as Road**

** -Nah, its just the 14th. I'm sticking at least vaguely to the actual plot :)**

**Sonnenfrost- Thanks, I'm glad I was able to improve on that chapter. I am going to try and have the Black Order in a little more from here on out because (not to drop any hints) during this school year there will be a slight clash of the worlds. We have just been covering child development on my course so I couldn't help but slip a little of it into my story :P**

**B3GIN- Ta muchly XD and yup, that bit is going to be importaint, but mainly it just acts as an introduction to the 14th who may or may not rear his head at some point this year...**

Steam rose in neat, uniform spirals from Allen's cauldron as he happily busied himself with heating his scorpion paste to precisely the right temperature, frowning in concentration as he carefully controlled the small flame beneath the mortar. He swiftly lifted it off as it reached the optimum heat and was about to scoop it into his cauldron when

"Sir! I can't heat my scorpion paste properly- you know, due to my injury" came the obnoxious call from behind him. Allen froze mid-scoop and shrunk down, hoping to avoid Snape's eye but

"Allen, give Malfoy yours" Came the bored reply. Allen's shoulders slumped and he growled in irritation at Malfoy's smug laugh

Harry glanced up from his own cauldron which had a mini-hurricane of smoke rising from its surface due to Malfoy using his ingredients and messing up his timing. He looked empathetically over at his friend. Allen's fringe of snowy hair was shadowing his eyes and he had that same freaky expression he had worn while pilfering all of Ron's sweets in that poker game

"Sure thing" Allen said chirpily, handing over his perfectly heated paste, a polite smile on his face

"Be sure to ass it quickly so it doesn't cool down" and with that he turned back to his station and began to heat his replacement paste. Malfoy looked about as confused as Harry felt, but with a shrug he added the paste to his potion. Harry turned back to his cauldron, a small smile on his face. He had a vague suspicion that things were about to get very interesting. Mere moments later- in the middle of Malfoy's rant at Harry- things did get very interesting. He had just reached the "You really don't know do you?" part of the rant when his voice started to get higher. He paused, looking puzzled and sat back down in his seat (he had been leaning over his cauldron to hold the conversation)

"You 'right, Malfoy?" Crabbe mumbled. Malfoy shot his a glare

"of course I..." he clapped his hand over his mouth, flushing bright red. His voice had reached the pitch of a young girls. Crabbe looked in confusion at his friend

"You 'right, Malfoy?" He repeated, more slowly. Malfoy's glare this time was directed at Allen

"What did you do?" He shrilled indignantly, sounding somewhat like an irritated pixie.

"Who, me?" Allen inquired innocently, his eyes huge "I didn't do anything. It's nothing to be ashamed of Malfoy, this is probably just the after effect of your fright earlier. There's no need to be scared, you're safe here and if Buckbeak does break into the school intending to kill you, you don't need to worry- Harry here seems to have a knack for taming dangerous animals. I'm sure he'll protect you" By some miracle, he managed to keep his innocent poker face in place through this whole speech. Ron and Harry weren't so strong and by this stage were doubled over, laughing so hard tears were trickling down their cheeks, even Hermione was struggling to keep a straight face and the nearby Gryffindors were also taking great pleasure in Malfoy finally getting a taste of his own medicine. Unfortunately at this stage, Snape realised Malfoy was being teased by the students- not the other way around and decided to intervene sweeping across the classroom, his black cloak billowing in his wake.

"What is going on here?" He demanded his voice icy cold. Harry and Ron swiftly gathered their wits

"I don't think Malfoy is feeling very well sir" Harry said, his voice trembling slightly with suppressed laughter. Thankfully Snape was too concerned with Malfoy to notice and he lent over his cauldron, poking at the contents and taking a quick sniff of the liquid before jerking his head back

"You put magnolia essence in here" He snapped in irritation "You've turned the potion into a voice modifier. You'll need to wait behind so I can make a remedy. Class dismissed" With a flurry of activity, the class packed up as swiftly as possible before Snape could change his mind or find some excuse to take points of Gryffindor to make up for his favourite students 'mistake'. Allen, Ron and Harry led the class out the classroom, not even pausing to put their books into their bags so great was their hurry to escape the dank dungeon before collapsing in a heap on the grass just outside the school and bursting into hysterical giggles.

"That was you, wasn't it Allen" Harry said when he eventually recovered. Allen tried unsuccessfully to put his poker face back on "No" He snorted unconvincingly before laughing and saying "Well maybe. A little. He deserved it!" Harry and Ron nodded in agreement but Hermione shot him a disapproving look

"You shouldn't sink to his level Allen- who knows what adding strange ingredients to his potion could have done. You're lucky it didn't have any serious effects" All three boys stared at her in silence

"But it was pretty funny right?" Allen said breaking the long pause in conversation, a huge childish grin on his face. Hermione bit her lip and looked away

"Ok, fine, it was a _little_ funny" She said reluctantly and all three boys cheered

* * *

><p>"I wonder what he meant though" Harry said thoughtfully as the group made their way back into school for the next class "why would I want to go looking for a raving mad psychopath who probably wants to murder me in cold blood?" Allen and Ron both shrugged unhelpfully and as one unit the boys turned to Hermione for a psycho-analysis on Malfoy's behaviour but she wasn't there. They all exchanged confused looks<p>

"She was right there" Ron said and Allen immediately understood what had happened

"Oh, I think I saw her drop a book or something" He said suddenly and to his relief, she came round the corner, seconds later lugging an over-full bag after her which promptly gave up the ghost, its contents spilling all over the ground. Allen told the two boys to go ahead and he stooped down to help Hermione pick up all her books. He gave her a small smile and raised a questioning brown. She shook her head wearily "I know, I know. Professor Vector ran on later than usual today. I sprinted down the corridor but I just didn't manage to catch up in time" She ran her fingers through her hair and Allen couldn't help but note her pale complexion "Hermione, don't you think you are maybe taking on a bit too much" He asked tentatively. She shot him a glare so heated he was incredibly glad that she had an armful of books and therefore was incapable of violence

"Okay, okay" He cried hurriedly, grinning from ear to ear "Taboo subject. I get it. We'd better hurry or we'll be late to defence against the dark arts" Hermione's death-glare softened slightly at the mention of class and she nodded, both of them picking up their pace so they were half-running along the corridor

* * *

><p>They thankfully managed to reach the classroom in time though they didn't get much of a chance to regain their breath before Lupin had them marching through the school on a mystery errand. Malfoy was back in the class clearly having being fixed by Snape though he looked absolutely furious and was even more spiteful than usual, sneering every time Lupin opened his mouth and whispering snide comments to his faithful bodyguards who obediently chuckled each time. As soon as Allen entered the room however his expression changed to one of pure loathing and he ceased his attention on Lupin, switching his glare to Allen who reciprocated the gesture with a cheery grin and wave. Hermione shot him a disapproving glare "Don't antagonise him" She hissed under her breath but Allen just shrugged "I was being <em>nice<em>" He insisted innocently. When their assignment was eventually explained to them the class stood in silence, all concentrating on one thought: What was it that scared them most in the whole world. Allen lent against the classroom wall, his head ducked and his eyes closed as he tried to think of what it was that scared him and for some strange reason, it was much harder than he thought it would be. When he thought of the Akuma, he thought of pity, pity and revulsion. Although it was true that fighting them was scary, they themselves did not frighten him. Even the Millennium Earl brought along feelings of fury and disgust rather than fear per se. As he sifted through all the horrific experiences he had been through, his thoughts strayed to Mana before he could reign them back in and all of a sudden there was an intense lack of air in the classroom as his memory flooded back without warning, each image, each word as clear and cutting as they had been on the day itself. The grave stone, the skeleton, the Earl. Empty promises and the twisted truth "_Curse you Allen" _The scream of Mana rang through his ears. He raised his trembling cursed hand to his scar- the only remaining link he had to the first person ever to love him. There was a flurry of activity in the class and with a jerk, Allen snapped out of his trance. Thankfully, the entire class had been concentrating on their fears also so no one seemed to have noticed his reaction however as they gathered around the wardrobe to watch Neville's attempt, Malfoy shot Allen an oddly triumphant look

* * *

><p>There was a loud crack and Lupin's boggart became a cockroach but before the next student could take their place, Malfoy snuck up behind Allen giving him an almighty shove and throwing him into the path of the Boggart. The cockroach turned slowly to face him and all the room seemed to fall completely silent. For what seemed like an age, nothing happened and the two just stood facing each other, Allen pale faced and trembling ever so slightly, the cockroach frozen and flickering every now and again like an old TV. An almighty hush had fallen on the classroom as every student waited with baited breath to see what form the Boggart would take for the most mysterious member of the class. With a sudden rush, the Boggart changed, seeming to melt, spreading all over the classroom to the very walls before solidifying. Screams of horror rang through the class as they noticed what they now appeared to be standing in. Bodies lined the staff room, piled high. Harry's stomach jolted unpleasantly when he noticed his own corpse, accurate right down to the red scar and slightly askew glasses. Hermione and Ron lay there too, in the circle of bodies closest to Allen along with a girl he had never seen before with deep green hair and most disturbing of all, the small form of Mai, tiny in death. To his surprise, he even saw the body of Malfoy, somewhere off the edge of the classroom. Malfoy had spotted this too and the triumphant look had been replaced by one of fear. Allen stood in the only clear area of the class, his wand limp by his side as he gazed around the scene of devastation. All of a sudden there was movement and some grotesque shape moved across the room- a fat clownish man with a leering grin stretched impossibly across the majority of his face "You have failed them Allen, failed every one. You can bring them back you know. Just call their names, just call them. Call them back from your detestable God. Call them Allen" There were cries of terror around the whole classroom and the scene solidified even further, the Boggart clearly taking energy from their fear. Allen turned to face this new monster, his face blank and empty of all emotion. The perfect poker face<p>

"You think" He said, his voice quiet but powerful "You think I fear you?" He raised his wand, his hair shadowing his eyes and a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth "I. Do. Not. _Riddikulus!"_ and with a deafening crack, the twisted scene dissolved, and the smoky tendrils of the monster twisted into a small circus dog which stood on its hind legs and balanced a red ball on its nose however no gale of laughter swept over the classroom this time and Lupin, pale faced, forced the Boggart back into the box. He drew a deep breath

"Well, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being so brave as to take part in my assignment. You have all done well . Very well. 10 points to everyone who tackled the Boggart and five points to Harry and Hermione for answering my questions" His matter of fact approach seemed to calm the class back down as their world returned to normal and as they filed out of the classroom, they were all chatting again, laughing and joking about each of their Boggarts but before Allen could slip out of the classroom Lupin called out for him to remain behind. Harry and Hermione exchanged concerned looks but had no option but to leave. Harry's heart was still thumping from the disturbing scene and he just couldn't quite wrap his head around what had happened. Why had the Boggart taken so long to change? Why had Allen's been so much larger and more detailed than any of the others and why had he not been... well... frightened of it? And deep down there was the more selfish question. Why had Lupin not allowed him to face the monster himself

* * *

><p>Allen stood awkwardly in the middle of the classroom as Lupin gathered up his things and set the staff room back to its usual state. He shot Allen a friendly smile, handing him a pile of papers<p>

"Would you mind giving me a hand with taking this down to my office" He asked mildly. Allen nodded, slightly taken aback as he followed the teacher through the school to his own room. Lupin relieved Allen of his burden and gestured to one of the seats, busying himself with making a pot of tea

"You don't need to worry" Lupin said kindly as he delved into one of his cupboards, bringing out a handful of Honeyduke's chocolate bars "I'm not going to ask you for an explanation of your Boggart. I would never presume to ask such a personal question. I just want to make sure you are ok. You seem to have perfected a marvellous poker face but no matter how strong you are, that will have shaken you and the best cure I have found for that is chocolate" and with a smile, he handed over the chocolate bars and poured them both mugs of tea. Allen rather warily accepted the chocolate but his stomach wouldn't let him be too tentative, letting out an almighty growl. Lupin laughed and Allen couldn't help but chuckle slightly too, blushing

"It's fine Allen. I have been told you have a tremendous appetite. Dig in" Lupin said and Allen needed no second invitation, digging into the chocolaty goodness with gusto. Lupin ended up returning to his stash three or four times before Allen was finally sated but eventually he sat back, refilling his mug with tea and sighing with relief

"Better?" Lupin inquired, his face slightly amused at the mound of wrappers that had formed on his desk. Allen nodded with a small laugh and took a large gulp of tea, steeling himself for his question

"Sir, why... Why was my Boggart different?" He kept his gaze fixed on his tea stubbornly as he asked and he heard Lupin suck in a breath. There was a long pause and then

"It is impossible to say exactly why certain people have certain Boggarts, especially as they change depending on the mood of said person but I can take a good guess if you would like" Allen nodded silently

"Well, it is obvious that you haven't had an easy childhood. You have clearly seen much more suffering than your average adult which changes the way you approach the emotion of fear. See, for children and many adults who have never seen the true nature of the world, they concentrate all their emotions of fear on one thing, say a spider, or snake and while other things may also scare them, that becomes the embodiment of their fear. For those who have seen more of the world, they realise that there are many more abstract things to fear and they stop concentrating all their fear on one object and instead fear... well, _fear. _I take it you have not met a dementor yet?" Allen shook his head

"Well, I wouldn't advise that you do so but if you ever had, that would be the form your Boggart would take. As you had never met one before, the Boggart struggled to come up with a form as _fear_ itself isn't really a solid thing. That is why it paused so long and flickered. The form it eventually took was a scenario it thought would induce fear in you. Clearly, it failed to effectively terrify you but your classmates were so frightened that it had enough strength to complete the transformation" Allen nodded his head. It made sense that the Boggart had thought the scenario would have caused him to fear- it was true that he feared failing those he loved most however the scene had not been him failing, but him having failed and so brought only sorrow to his heart. He stood up suddenly, wanting nothing more than to be out of the room and into the open air, with a chance to clear his head. Lupin stood up too and walked him to the door, handing him another chocolate bar before they parted

"Listen Allen, I am sorry you were put into such a difficult situation in my classroom and I know I am probably the last person you want to listen to right now but I am a teacher so you have little choice. You have obviously had a hard life and have suffered much but remember, there are those who care about you now. Your friends are worried about you. Go to them. It is not weakness to rely on others. Trust me, I was once in your place- so frightened to trust anyone but myself but eventually I let my guard down and I have never regretted it" He gently lay a hand on Allen's shoulder "Let them help you" He said kindly and with that, returned to his office. Allen stood for a while, clutching the chocolate bar in his hand before slowly turning away from the staircase leading to the secret passage and toward the one leading to the dorm. As he walked, he steps became quicker and more sure as his heart lightened just at the thought of seeing his friends once more


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N So yeah... hey strangers :S I shall spare you the details but suffice to say I sincerely dislike viruses and slow repair men :/ still. Here you are :)**

**Also. The spelling will be atrocious- Don't say I didn't warn you. I typed this on my ipod which atocorrects like there is no tomorrow**

**EpikalStorms- Thank you :D And I know... I love cuteness :)**

**Akuma Lee Crimson- Yeah, I like Lupin in this book. Not so much in the other ones, but in this one at least he is rational and kind :P**

**Raychael Dionzeros- Amen!**

**Sonnenfrost- Thanks, I was a bit dubious about it but I think it turned out OK**

**Nekogami Bastet- Thanks, I did have to think long and hard about that scene but there was no way I was going to just pass over such a big bit in the story because I was struggling to find an appropriate Allen-response to it XD**

**Not-Your-Buiness- No nead for death threats! I shall not hiatus, promise! And if I do, you may hunt me down with pitchforks and fire ;)**

** - :D Maybe. Maybe not. Read on to find out... hehehe**

**I-Love-Chocolate- First things first, ME TOO! Secondly awww, I didn't think about that. I quite like making all her nicknames Japanese, that one must've slipped through the net :P**

**Guest- ME TOOOOOOOOOO**

**coronodomontes- Well, the way I have thought it out so far, Allen will be more important to the wizarding battle than Harry will be to the Millenium battle which, in retrospect, isn't exactly fair. I may try to jig that about a bit and see what I can do about that... hmm... we shall see :)**

**Guest- I did not know that at all! Where does it say that! I'm guessing I skipped over that bit in the manga or something... thanks for telling me!**

Kanda concentrated hard on breathing deeply and emptying his mind of all thoughts to do with that stupid usagi he didn't trust that little bookman at all- why did he constantly ask such pointless questions? He must have some evil ulterior motive. After all, his special ability was recording so he was probably using some psycho babble thing to get battle information by asking questions like " how are you?" and "what are you having to eat?" plus all those times he had tried to make Kanda spar with him- he was probably trying to find his weaknesses and learn all his secret moves. Kanda clenched his fist in anger. That was definitely what he was up to! Next time he saw that Baka usagi, he was going to smash his obnoxious little face in! Unfortunately, Lenalee had taken a liking to the little fool for some unknown reason. He would have to wait for some time when she was not around to exact his revenge. Lenalee was not to be messed with- although he could easily defeat her if he wanted to, he didn't want to upset her. When she was upset she did some thing with her eyes that gave him a fun y feeling in his stomach and he didn't like it. It must be a special skill that came along with 'dark boots'. Plus when's he was sad, the whole order got depressed and everyone became even more useless than they were usually which was just plain frustrating. A harsh scraping sound broke into his reviver and soft, light footfalls made their way to the spot beside him. That confirmed it, it must be Lenalee- only she would be foolish enough to interrupt his meditation and then sit anywhere within reach of Mugen. He cracked one eye open just to check and sure enough, Lenalee was sitting there in the standard meditation position, frowning slightly , her brow furrowed with worry. She must have felt his gaze on her because she opened her eyes too and met his gaze, smiling apologetically  
>"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you" she whispered. Unable to think of the socially acceptable response to this, he just tsked softly and closed his eyes again hoping she didn't think he was worried about her or that he had noticed her dull, slightly swollen eyes or the worry marks on her pale face or the way she was twisting her fingers in her lap or e fact that this was the first time she had ever even attempted to meditate<br>"Am I annoying you Kanda." She asked timidly. His eyes snapped open at the out-of-the-blue question  
>"Huh." He said inarticulately<br>"It's just you look rather... Upset" she ventured, her big, sad eyes wide open and full of concern  
>"I'm fine" he snapped and silence fell again. It wasn't that he was worried for her or anything- it was just that... As a soldier born and bred to do battle, he had no motive other than his orders to fight but if he was ever to be like one of the many other common soldiers who relied on other things to drive them in battle- if he was ever to be that weak minded and to sink to that level... He would fight for the hope that one day his actions on the battle field would help to bring about a world in which the light of hope and joy in her eyes would never have cause to dim or fade<p>

* * *

><p>Kanda marched purposefully down the corridor with one thought filling his mind. Soba. He hadn't noticed the time passing in his meditation until Lenalee rose to leave,snapping him out of his trance and he very quickly became aware of the fact that he hadn't eaten anything since dinner the day before. He was in the middle of fantasising about a huge bowl of steaming soba when he heard the one sound that he hated most in the whole world- hurried footsteps and he didn't even need the following exclamation to identify his stalker<br>"Yuuuu!" The Baka Usagi squeeled. Without even turning, Kanda sidestepped the glomph that he knew was coming and allowed himself a satisfied smile as Lavi face-planted into the unforgiving stone floor  
>"Yuu, that was mean!" He whinged, sitting up and rubbing the lump that was now forming on his forehead<br>"Don't CALL me that, Baka Usagi!" Kanda snarled as Mugen leapt from its sheath to Lavi's neck, almost completely of its own accord. It was a testament to Kanda's self-restraint that he didn't finish the blow. Why did that idiot rabbit have to be an exorcist? It was so frustrating! If he had just been a finder, Kanda wouldn't have thought twice about severing his head from his neck but no, that idiot just had to be an accommodator for innocence. If he didn't k ow better, he would say that the idiot had done it just to irritate him  
>"Aw don't be so grumpy Yuu!" Lavi sang, either oblivious to or uncaring of the black flames and tick mark that Kanda had developed<br>"We have guests today- you need to make a good impression and be welcoming, not a moody she-man samurai"  
>Kanda hesitated for a split second, momentarily torn between mild curiosity and blinding fury. It didn't take too long for his better judgement to win out. Lavi was booted with tremendous force half way down the corridor and a very irritated Kanda stormed past his innate, twitching body on his way to the dining hall. Unfortunately the idiot seemed to have quite amazing powers of recovery paired with an inability to learn for his mistakes and he trotted up behind Kanda, grinning widely as he answered the unasked question<br>"Rouvelier has come on a spot check to see how we are settling in here. He brought cakes. Isn't that sweet of him?" He deadpanned. Kanda's jaw tensed ever so slightly at the mention of that man's name but other than that, he didn't react at all  
>"That man gives me the creeps" Lavi said happily, as they neared the cafeteria<br>"Don't you think he is creepy, Yuu?" Kanda growled in The back of his throat like an angered cat hut he resisted the urge to slice him in two  
>"Tch, for a rabbit, you're quite the scardy cat" he mocked giving a small sigh of relief as they finally reached the cafeteria. He didn't even need to say anything (which was just as he like it) as soon as Jerry saw him coming, he pt a bowl of soba on the bar, making some cheery comment or other that Kanda didn't pay any attention to. Lavi however seemed not to care that Kanda was clearly in the middle of his meal and plopped down on the bench beside him, still chatting away<br>"I'm not the only one Kanda! Even Komui is more on edge than usual and no one can find Lenalee to calm him down with her usual cup of coffee"  
>Kanda froze momentarily but decided that as usual, silence was the best policy. If Lenalee didn't want to be found then that was her own business. He didn't care<br>"Don't you think he is scary, Kanda?" Lavi inquired, slouching back against the table a that he could get a good view of the stony faced boy. Kanda scowled more fiercely at the return of the pointless questions. He hated them almost as much as he hated pointless emotions. What did it matter how Rouvelier acted? It made no difference if he was sweetness and light or dark and twisted. He was in charge and when he gave an order, it was to be followed. That was all that was important. The petty comic actions that people liked to add to things like that just made it harder for em to properly fulfil their role and it made them even more useless than they would normally be  
>"Not everyone is as babyish as you. If your frightened of your own boss then maybe you shouldn't be fighting at all- if you are that scared of your own side you'll be useless against the enemy. There's the door. Your more than welcome to walk out of it" he said scathingly to the fool, downing the rest of his soba in one but before he could stalk it of the room, Lavi laughed out loud<br>"That's the longest speech I have ever got out of you, Yuu! We are making progress!"  
>With a flurry of motion, Kanda body slammed Lavi onto the floor<br>"My name is Kanda, Baka Usagi!"

* * *

><p>Allen, Harry, Ron and Hermione lay stock still,their breath bated as they eavesdropped on Dumbledores conversation with Snape none of them daring to move, lest it be discovered that they weren't sleeping like the rest of their classmates. The next day, as soon as they managed to get a few moments to themselves, they discussed the recent development in hushed whispers<br>"For goodness sake Allen, you are being completely paranoid! Of course Rhamnella isn't sneaking Sirius into the castle" Hermione snapped impatiently- she had been doing little other than snapping recently, what with the exams approaching and her stress levels rocketing  
>"Didn't you listen when I told you about the dryads? You-know-who and his death eaters wiped most of them out when they were on power. Wy on earth would she help Sirius who is the biggest death eater of them all?"<br>All eyes turned to Allen, who shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny  
>"Well... She was hired this year" he said, realising how feeble his argument sounded even to his own ears<br>"She's always taking Mai on walks around the castle and the grounds. She's probably scouting the area or something"  
>All three of his friends gazed at him incredulously and he shrank back slightly, hugging his knees to his chest<br>"She's just acting suspiciously!" He insisted, pouting moodily. Ron snorted in derision  
>"She's Mai's tutor Allen, it's her job to look after her and teach her about plants and the history of the castle. You're not jealous are you?" Allen looked completely taken aback by this comment and proceeded to violently deny that he was, ever had been or ever would be jealous of Rhamnella. All three of his friends fixed him with a disbelieving look and he spluttered something about needing to train before fleeing the common room with impressive speed. Hermione stood up and straitened her robes before following Allen though in a significantly more dignified manner saying something about two ruin essays and a muggle studies assignment that needed finishing. Ron and Harry glanced up at the huge clock resting on the mantelpiece it was 7 at night. Ron stood up too<br>"Gobstones?" He inquired in a business like manner

"Gobstones" Harry confirmed with a grin

* * *

><p>Allen scowelled as he pummeled the punch bag willfully tuning out the ever present snide comments coming from the holligram. He wasn't jealous of that stupid tutor- I mean sure he had hardly seen his daughter in the past few months because she now had a strict 'nap time' over break and he had been forbidden from bringing her lunch time treats and from visiting her after his trips out of the school- something to do with sleep being essential for learning. That was clearly just a stupid excuse to keep him from her. He had hardly slept for longer than four hours in a row for the past month and he was just fine! Sure every now and again he would get double vision or fall asleep with his eyes open but apart from that he was just fine. It was obviously a huge conspiracy of Rhamnella's to replace him in Mai's affections and he was not going to let it happen. He would not let her win. Tonight he was going to go out and get the biggest bag of butter popcorn he could find and he would sit up late with her discussing her latest lessons and the behavior of her large toy collection. Stuff Rhamnella and her stupid 'healthy development'. He thumped the punch bag moodily, pouting childishly at it. He made his way over to the cupboard in which ho stored his broom and was just about to perform the disillusionment charm when Tim flapped panickedly in front of his face and projected an image of an incredibly pissed off Snape onto the wall. Allen groaned. He had forgotten about his detention. Snape had been waiting to pouch ever since he found out that Allen had been the one to upset his favorite pupil and earlier in the day had given Allen detention for 'looking bored'. With a heavy sigh, Allen returned his stuff to the cupboard and took off down the corridor at a sprint hoping he wouldn't end up with another detention for being late<p>

* * *

><p>He arrived at the dungeons just in time and a rather disappointed Snape waved him in to one of the workbenches where a young girl was already sitting. He instructed them to replenish his supply of bubotubor pus and left the dungeon leaving no doubt of the wrath that would reign down upon them if they didn't finish the task by the time he returned. Allen made his way across the room and joined the young girl at the table<p>

"Hey, my name's Allen" He chirped, smiling

"Oh, I know who you are" She replied rather dreamily, seeming utterly oblivious to how creepy this sounded. She swept her dirty blonde hair out of her face, deftly twisting it into a knot at the base of her neck before approaching the squirming, bulbous plant with a pin and a flask. She suddenly swept in, piercing one of the pustules and ducked as a jet of yellow pus shot out, raising the other hand, catching the stream deftly in the glass flask. She turned to face him, her pale blue eyes wide and vaguely curious. Allen sweat-dropped and edged his way around the table, trying to put as much distance between them as possible

"How do you know who I am" He asked as calmly as possible, gingerly approaching his own bubotubor with a needle

"You are rather easily distunguishable" She said with a half smile "You saved Ginny from the basilisk last year. I like Ginny. She's kind to me" She said the last bit as if she was talking to herself and Allen carefully maintained his distance from her.

"Yeah, well I didn't really saver, Harry actually..." But before he could continue, she cut him off

"By the way, you didn't happen to notice if the snake had writing on its fangs did you?" Allen stuttered in shock as he tried to come up with an appropriate response

"I.. The sn... erm.. no?" She sighed as she collected another flask

"Shame. There is some debate as to whether Cornelious Fudge or the Weird Witches owned it" Allen was once again completely wrong footed and at an utter loss of what to say. He then made the mistake of asking her why there was even a debate about that and a detailed explanation of some conspiracy involving the ministry, the music corporation and Dumbledore all in one giant mess of nonsense. By the end of her speech, Allen was actually finding her somewhat less scary and much more amusing, laughing aloud at some of the hairbrained ideas- so by the time Snape returned to find to his immense displeasure all of the bubotubors de-pused- he had quite forgotten his previous anger


	33. Chapter 33

**coronadomontes- I will definitely consider it. I haven't really figured out all the details for the end of the story yet but I will definitely try not to leave Harry and the rest of the wizards out of it :P**

**Raychael Dionzeros- Just what I was aiming for! Hope you enjoy this one too!**

**Sonnenfrost- Yeah, Luna is one of my favorite characters- as to Dumbledore, I don't know, I have to say I find his character hard to figure out. I don't think I like him very much... he is more of an ends before the means kind of guy. I've not writen a family scene because when he adopted Mai and Allen, he did it for the battle plan- not for his own benifet but I do conceed I have perhaps been a little harsh on the guy. I will try to come up with some nice chapter or other for them, maybe in the next 'summer holidays'**

**jozefien- Soon, it will coincide with the whole Sirius bit so I don't need to re-write that section or awkwardly write Allen into it. Definitely will happen in one of the next few updates though :D**

**Guest- Well, I'll definitely keep that in mind :) Thanks for telling me! And thanks for the compliments, hope you like this chapter too**

**Not-Your-Buisness- I'm updating! See! Here's an update! Please don't shoot me with a machine gun :'(**

**I-Love-Chocolate- Hehe, yes, I'm gonna have a showdown between him and Rhamnella at some point! And no, I don't like her much either. Favorite chocolate?... Sooooo many :P Green and blacks butterscotch I think... or Cadburies milk. Or Galaxy caramel... :D**

**Rex888- Tuhdah!**

A distinctly christmassy air had descended upon Hogwarts- tinsle and holly had sprung up over night, twisting itself around the banisters and filling every crevice while icicles mysteriously hung from ceilings and mantle places alike. Students everywhere were packing excitedly for home or lounging lazily before the roaring fires comparing Christmas lists all with the exception of two students. Hermione was- as ever- somewhere under her fortress of textbooks and didn't seem to have any inclination of emerging any time soon. Allen on the other hand was running laps around the school, slowly boring a trench through the knee deep snow as he went. There were two other students besides these who were not busied about the usual activity. By the fire in the common room, two brothers sat side by side and conferred in low murmurs, warily watching passerby's lest their conversation be overheard. Nothing and no one was going to come between them and their plans for this Christmas.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0

It was the morn of christmas eve and not a soul was stirring, not even... well... not a soul except...

"TIMCAMPY!" Allen called as he made his way across the floor on his hands and knees, peering under the sofa. He glanced up and started as he noticed that he was not alone

"Hey, Hermione, you haven't seen Timcampy by any chance have you?" He asked as he picked up the sofa cushions and peered hopefully under them

"I suppose you think Crookshanks is hunting him down too!" She snapped acidly, her eyes sparking

"Oh no, of course not" Allen laughed nervously waving his hands frantically in front of his face making a mental note to check the cat as soon as Hermione had left the room

"While we are on the subject of disappearing things though" Hermione said in a slightly less hostile tine as she ran her finger down the spines of one of her many book towers

"You haven't seen my copy of 'Hogwarts: A History' have you?" Allen shook his head and joined her in her search of the common room. They were both disturbed from their search coon after by a chorus of evil laughter. They spun around to see Fred and George sitting in one of the chairs in front of the fire, each wearing their respective Christmas jumpers and stroking a purring Crookshanks who was sitting very smugly in between them

"We have been expecting you" They both chimed, their eyes fixed on their unfortunate prey

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0

"We have a proposition for you" began George

"Well, its not _really_ a proposition" Fred mildly pointed out "They have no choice in the matter. A deal?"

"No" countered George in an equally blase tone " Deal insinuates a choice too" The two boys frowned in thought, then Fred brightened

"We have an ultimatum for you!" He cried triumphantly

"Nah, that suggests that they made a move first, this is an utterly unprovoked attack, remember?" George parried "A demand?" He suggested but before Fred could counter this as well, Hermione interrupted the banter

"Your blackmailing us?" She asked indignantly. George snapped his fingers his face lighting up

"That's the word! Thanks Hermione. Yes, we are blackmailing you" He said cheerily

"You two have been criminally un-festive" Fred intoned seriously with the air of someone reading a list of serious crimes to a criminal in the docks

"Reading and training" George continued gravely shaking his head

"Well no more" They chimed together

"You both need to complete a series of challenges we give you with no breaks for studying or weight lifting or you will never see your beloved Timcampy or really-thick-textbook again" Fred finished triumphantly and they both crossed their arms and leaned back with self-satisfied smirks plastered across their faces. Allen and Hermione exchanged exasperated looks but there was every little they could do other than sigh and nod in agreement. The twins let out exuberant cheers at this and handed them their timetables for the day assuring them that they would know if the tasks hadn't been properly carried out. They left the two alone to read over their orders of the day, exiting the common room with a cheery goodbye. The two blackmail-ees sat down next to each other and consulted their lists. Hermione let out a moan of annoyance

"We are _so _going to get expelled for this!" Allen nodded silently "What's your first challenge?" She asked curiously "Mine is to have a 15 minute conversation with Professor Flitwick using the words Merlin's pants, flaming oranges, peeves, Dumbledore and flibertigibbit" She ended her sentence in a horrified whisper and buried her head in her arms quietly whimpering. Allen sympathetically patted her arm, struggling to surpress a grin

"My first one is great- I'm to take Mai down to the lake for breakfast and I've been ordered to have at least one snowball fight and I'm to build a snowdragon"

Hermione shot him a look of indignation

"That's so not faiiir!" She wailed

"I'm going to die from embarrassment... I just know it!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0

Hermione rocked back and forwards on her heels nervously in front of professor Flitwicks room rehearsing her speech in her head. Those stupid twins! If hexing wasn't against the school rules, the both would have antlers for ears, them and their stupid Christmas spirit. And why on earth did Allen have such a simple first challenge? He was away down to the lakeside for a snow fight with his daughter whereas she was about to humiliate herself in front of one of her favorite proffers. She hoped his later challenges would be just as horrible. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and knocked on his door  
>"Er, hello professor" she squeaked when the door opened<br>"If you are here about the exams again" professor Flitwick sighed " I've already told you- you did better than everyone in the class. Stop worrying about the few marks you lost and concentrate on enjoying your break!" Hermione steeled herself and in hurried tones said  
>"Merlin's pants! Is that peeves juggling flaming oranges over Dumbledore head? Oh no. It's not. My mistake. Merry Flibertijibbit sir!" And with that she turned tail and ran down the corridor, her heart pounding in her chest and her cheeks flaming red but despite this, a reluctant chuckle escaped her pursed lips.<p>

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0  
>Allen packed a wicker basket with steaming hot blueberry muffins and stacks of toast with mini jam pots tucked in beside them. He threw a cloth over the top and ran up to the nursery, taking the steps two at a time. He burst through the door and swept a startled Mai up in his arms, twirling her around the room<p>

"What do you say to a Christmas Eve pick nick down by the lake followed by a snowball fight and a snow sculpture contest" he sang as he danced the giggling toddler in a waltz around the nursery  
>"Yes please Pappy!" She cheered. A few minutes later- with Mai swaddled in multiple layers- they exited the school and made their way down to the frozen lake, Mai perched in her usual spot on Allen's shoulders carrying two thermos flasks, one of hot chocolate and one of hot ginger. Allen had one hand steadying the squirming toddler and the other swinging the basket of goodies. Two hours later, the pair trooped back wearily, cheeks flushed with the cold and the remainders of the snowball battle still clinging to their clothes. Behind them at the lake, the two dragon inspired lumps of snow stood out against the now brilliantly blue sky as they stood guard over the almost completely frozen Great Lake<br>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
>Allen joined Hermione at the lunch table and- after devouring everything within arms reach they exchanged details on their challenges before consulting the list again. This time, it was Allen's turn to groan and slump down on the table muttering the words<br>"Definitely getting expelled for this" Hermione gave a smug grin and waved her list in front of his face I just have to read at least two fiction books in front of the fire in the common room with a box of chocolates. She punched the air triumphantly  
>"Wait a minute, where am I going to get the chocolate?" At that minute, Fed and George seemed to materialise our if nowhere and handed Hermione a box of Honeyduke's chocolates tied up neatly with a red bow<br>"Merry Christmas Eve" they chimed together "oh, and good luck Allen" Fred chuckled, slapping him bracingly on the shoulder before disappearing into the crowd of milling students  
>"What is yours? Hermione said curiously, plucking the list out of Allen's limp grip. She scanned it quickly before bursting out laughing and handing it back to him.<br>"Good luck!" She sang as she half ran out of the hall up to the library clutching the box of chocolates to her chest  
>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-<br>Allen crawled his way up to the back of the greenhouses and slipped his wand out of his pocket  
>"Alohamora" he whispered and the latch of the window clicked open. He froze for a few seconds and after he was sure that professor sprout hadn't heard he crept over and eased it open, poking his head through. He caught his breath when he spotted the professor, with her back to him. He wriggled about till he managed to manoeuvre his wand arm through the window too and whispered<br>"Wingardium leviosa" levitating two baskets of flitterbloom seeds to ceiling height. He squeezed his head our of the window and readied himself to run before releasing the spell and sprinting back across the school grounds with yells coming from the greenhouse behind him as the plants burst into bloom all over the professor. A few minutes later Allen, two red heads jogged back to the castle too with suspiciously bulging robes and a mischievous glint in their eyes.  
>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0<br>Allen joined a significantly more relaxed Hermione in the common room and after helping himself to the remaining chocolates, the two consulted their lists again and let out simultaneous cries of horror.  
>"He's going to kill me!" Allen whimpered while Hermione just stared blankly at hers<br>"I'm getting expelled this time. Definitely. If it wasn't an extra rare signed and extended version of Hogwarts: A History, I'd say the twins were welcome to it" the swapped lists and quickly returned them to their owners  
>"I can't figure out which one is the worst!" Allen moaned<br>"How about we team up for the last two? We can do mine first then borrow Harry's invisibility cloak for the other and so it tonight" Hermione nodded in agreement and the two of them set off for the school dungeons  
>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0<br>Hermione and Allen squished themselves into one of the empty classrooms and eased the door open a crack to watch the fun. A few minutes ticked by and nothing happened  
>"Are you sure that we did the spell right?" Allen whispered "I've never used that one before" Hermione shrugged<br>"Your welcome to go out and check but I'm staying right here" she replied but before Allen could say anything else, it started. The suit if armour at the end if the corridor burst into a squeaky version of "let it snow" Hermione raised one eyebrow at Allen who shrugged sheepishly  
>"my first time using the spell" he whispered but Hermione grabbed his arm silencing him as Snape rounded the corner, looking livid. He very quickly found the culprit and shot a spell at the suit if armor silencing it. He had turned and was striding back to his office when a holly wreath began to sing a tuneless 'jingle bells' Allen raised an eyebrow back at Hermione who stuck her tongue out at him and shrugged. Snape silenced that too with increasing irritation when from out in the corridor the tinsel wrapped around the staircase harmonized over 'frosty the snowman' with a look of sheer and unbridled fury on his face, Snape strode out of the dungeons. Allen and Hermione exchanged looks and in mutual agreement they sprinted from their hiding spot and slipped into one of the broom cupboards in the main hall just in time to see Snape silence the tinsel with one furious wave of his wand. The two hiding teenagers shook with surprised laughter as the watched him visibly draw a deep breath and walk in a dignified manor back to his room.<br>"Three. Two..." Whispered Allen one on the count of one, all the remaining baubles, clumps of holly and bundles of mistletoe burst into 'here comes Santa Claus' and with a snarl of anger, Snape spun around and in one sweeping wave he tuned all the decorations into a heap of ashes before marching back into the dungeons and slamming the door with excessive force behind him. A peal of laughter rang out from the broom cupboard and the two teens half fell out as they clutched to each other in a vein attempt to support each other as they gasped for air  
>"Only one more to go now" Allen said weakly when he finally caught his breath<br>"Yeah, thank goodness for that" Hermione replied, wiping tears of laughter from her face "I'm not sure how much more my poor heart can put up with"  
>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0<p>

That night as soon as everyone had gone to bed, the two teen crept out of the common room with Harry's cloak wrapped firmly around them. They padded their way down the ash-covered stairs and drew out their wands, whispering the charm they had been practicing all evening. With a satisfied look, they examined their work, awkwardly high fived under the cloak and crept back up to the dormitory and fell asleep, both quickly falling into the deepest, dreamless sleep that they had had all term.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0

The next morning, cries of delight echoed around the school as the pupils stirred and made their way down the stairs to find the entire entrance hall was covered in a thick layer of ice and all the way up the banister, ice-skating blades were tied with ribbons. One by one, the pupils made their way gingerly out onto the ice and began to skate in huge rings around the hall, their excited laughter and chatter ringing around the whole school. Hermione and Allen ran down as soon as they woke and joined in- Hermione clinging rather nervously to the side, but Allen having spent so much of his life doing balancing and agility training took to it with ease and was soon skating literal rings around the other pupils. Luna (who's dad was away hunting Purple ringed Snorcrackers or some such thing) soon proved to be a match for him and in no time they were in somewhat of a competition. Luna flew out to the center which had very quickly been vacated by the other pupils and lept into the air, traveling a good meter or so before landing perfectly. Allen retaliated by flying equally quickly out to the middle and with a snap of skates leaping into the air and twisting 180 degrees, landing perfectly and skating backwards, skidding to a halt beside Luna. She started skating in lazy circles that got tighter and tighter til she snapped her skates together and hugged her arms tight to her body, spinning in tight circles til she became a blur. Allen copied her as soon as she had gone and the two twirled in sickening blurs. Neither probably would have given up but the cheers of the students died down and it soon became evident why

"_What in the name of all that is holy has happened!"_ came a cry from the stairs and Allen and Luna ceased spinning to see Professor Macgonnagle an Dumbledore standing at the head of the staircase. The two dizzy teens clung to each other for support but their centre of gravity had been so far flung out that it was only a few seconds before they both thumped down on the ice and neither even atempted to move from the spot as they watched the teachers to see what they would do. Profesor Macgonnagle looked like she was about to blow her top but Dumbledore just chuckled quite cheerily and with a wave of his wand, skates appeared on the soles of his shoes and he skated quite calmly across the hall, opening the doors to the dining hall with a wave of his wand

"Well, don't just stand there gawping" He cried "There's a feast to be eaten!" And with a cheer the entire student body- and a rather reluctant Profesor Magonnagle- made their way into the dining room. Allen and Hermione had barely sat down before a laughing George and Fred made their way across to them, releasing a very disgruntled Timcampy who quickly flew over to join Allen and Mai, settling comfortably on Allen's head and maintaining a healthy distance from Mai. They handed Hermione back her textbook too with a wink and a cheery "Merry Christmas"

The spread of food was just as fantastically ridiculous as it always was- though it didn't really seem like such a ridiculous amount this year, with Allen stuffing every dish within arms reach into his seemingly bottomless stomach. They had just started on the enormous turkeys when Fred and George once again joined them

"Watch closly" Fred said nodding up to the staff table "Your about to see the fruits of your work

"What do you mean?" Allen asked curiously but they just nodded again so the two turned to face the staff table. At first they couldn't see anything but after a few minutes, they started to notice that maybe Dumbledore's beard was getting slightly thicker than usual. They exchanged curious looks and turned back. The teachers seemed not to have noticed anything and were pulling their Christmas crackers. Out of Dumbledore's cracker fell a bright red hat, trimmed with white wool and all the teachers received green pointy hats. At this stage both Hermione and Allen twigged onto what was happening- both having been raised in a muggle world. The teachers noticed not soon after and with cries, their hands flew to their ears which had grown long and pointy. By this stage, Dubledore's bead had expanded to twice its usual size and, laughing as unrestranedly as usual, he pulled his hat on his head and perched his wire-rimmed spectacles on the edge of his nose

"Very well done" He laughed jovially "Whomever carried out this prank" He sent a rather piercing look to Fred and George "It was very well done. Merry Christmas!" The students all laughed, though those from wizarding backgrounds seemed not to find it quite as funny as the others

"We got the idea from hearing you two going on about muggle studies" Fred said

"Yeah, we replaced Flitwicks crakers when you distracted him Hermione" George chipped in

"And got the ingredients for the morphing potion when you both distracted Snape and Sprout. Good going there by the way" Fred continued

"And then smeared the potion around the rim of the goblets while you had everyone distracted by the ice rink" George finished triumphantly "I know. We are geniuses. You don't need to tell us"

Allen laughed at this "Yeah _right_. But what about the snowball fight with Mai and the books you made Hermione read?"

"Than was just our little present to you both" They chimed together "Your welcome! Merry Christmas!"

And with that they disappeared back to join Lee and their other friends at the other end of the table

**This is your christmas gift! Hope you all have a great time and aren't driven mad by your families- tis the season of Goodwill to all men! Apologies for spelling again- this was once again written on my ipod which is unreliable at the best of times :) Glad we all survived the Mayan calendar disaster and here's to another year of living on this earth! **


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N- Meeting with the exorcists next chapter! Hope your exciiiited :P I am. Apologies for the lack of length- next will be big I promise :) Hope you all had a phabby Christmas. Congratulating and surviving the Mayan calander...**

**Sonnenfrost- Good point... I will put one in actually, I sort have quite a nice idea in my head. I guess I am just a bit nervous, he isn't the easiest character to write but I will try :)**

**Raychael Dionzeros- Thank you! I tried to make that chapter as light as possible- I notice most my chapters are pretty depressing (this one is no exception) so its nice to throw in a few silly chapters :)**

**Guest- I didn't really forget, I just didn't really think it was useful to the story to add it in as an afterthought and I wanted the focus to be the run up to Christmas and the pranks rather than think up some birthday scene. I'm really glad you enjoyed the story :D**

**PoisonousDemon- I know, I'm really sorry- I've been laptop-less for a month now so I wrote and published that on my ipod which is not easy- they layout is pretty hard to figure out. Please tell me if its better this time :)**

**Oragamilotus- I WANT COOOOOOOKIES! Totally sympathise though- my plans for this weekend are also baking with my little sister :S Should be fun! Yeah, the twins are so much fun to write- though they are mean to poor little Allen :P**

**Diavo- Aww, hope your feeling better and I'm glad I cheered you up- Lucky you being in Africa though! Forgive me for getting a little fangirliish about it but I love Africa (I know thats rather broad- rather I love where I've been in Africa) I went on holiday to Botswana a few years ago and I'm away to Ghana this summers as a charity thing to build a hospital. My plan is actually to move out there for a while at least after I graduate from my nursing programme... anway enough rambling. Hope you had a great time and a wonderful christmas :)**

**Lisel- Oh I knew, Mai is pretty frightening and she seems to have a bit of an obsession with poor little Harry**

Harry had ony been to one lesson with Proffesor Lupin when Allen returned early from one of his trips, trembling and even paler than he normally was. He didn't say much all night, just asked Harry if he could join on the next lesson and then fell into a brooding silence, staring unseeingly into the fire and shivering every now and again, as if some chilled breeze had swept through the room. Harry was rather relieved to see that it was not only him that reacted so strongly to the dementors presense but he very quickly began to rather regret having invited Allen along. By the end of his first lesson, he had already produced what Lupin called a 'corporeal' patronus and Harry was still struggling to produce so much as a vapor. His Patronus was a shining silver wolf and Harry couldn't help but feel a little jelous as it soared gracefully around the room a few times before trotting over to Allen's side like an obedient dog. Allen himself was to thrilled to notice Harry's annoyance and he seemed very taken by the animal, announcing to each of his friends separately- as Ron and Harry were still refusing to talk to Hermione- that it was in fact an Arctic wolf and then he continued to reel of a long list of interesting facts that bored even Hermione by the third or fourth repetition. Harry and Allen's roles however completely reversed when it came to fighting against the boggart. If anything, Allen's reaction to the faux dementor was more violent than Harry's. It's effects didn't seem to fade much either and Harry had been woken on more than one occasion with Allen crying out in his sleep from some nightmare or other. At the end of one of their lessons, after Allen had left, Harry asked Lupin a question that had been weighing on him for a while

"Sir, why do the dementors have such an effect on Allen and I?" Lupin sighed and sat down

"Both you and Allen have horrors in your past that most adults don't have. The dementors use your past as a weapon against you so it is no surprise that they effect you two more so than your classmates" Harry nodded thoughtfully then after a short pause he tentatively said "And why do they effect Allen more than me?" Lupin ran his fingers through his greying hair and seemed to think long and hard about the answer, choosing his words carefully

"Allen was older than you when his particular tragedy struck him, not only had he therefore formed a closer bond with his father (1) but he was also more aware of what was going on and therefore his memories are not only clearer but also hold somewhat stronger emotion than perhaps yours- not of course that this minimises your pain from your past. It's just different" Harry nodded, all feelings of jealousy completely disappearing

* * *

><p>Allen was rounding the corridor to Mai's room when he bumped into Rhamnella. He apologised profusely but she waved away his niceties<p>

"I've been meaning to talk to you anyway. Let's go in here" She gripped his arm and marched him into one of the empty classrooms, lighting the chandelier with a flick of her wand. She gestured wordlessly to a chair and sat in her own, ramrod strait, with a rather severe expression on her face

"I wan't Mai to go to a proper primary school" She stated with no preamble, staring expectantly at Allen, clearly expecting some sort of reply. Allen wasn't capable of speech for a few seconds, so stunned he was by the curveball. He mouthed wordlessly trying to come up with an elegant argument however, as usual, his brain failed him

"With all due respect ma'am, no. I made a deal with Dumbledore- Mai and I were not to be separated, I've had her taken of me once already and I will not let it happen again. She stays here. That is final" His voice shook slightly at the end and he struggled to keep his voice level. Rhamnella just shook her head and pursed her lips

"I was afraid you would take this stance. She is a child, not a plaything. She needs to be with children of her own age- it's not healthy for her to be surrounded by those so much older than her" Allen literally reeled with this verbal blow, leaning back on his seat, the blood draining out of his face and he replied in a tone so frosty you could practically feel the room's temperature drop

"I raised Mai on my own from she was but a few days old. I fed her and cared after her on the streets of Japan, slaving so that I could care for her and foregoing food so that she would have enough to eat. You have no idea what we went through. Plaything? I love that child more than my own life and you say plaything?" He let out a bitter laugh and before he did something he would regret, he strode out of the room, resisting the temptation to slam the door in a fit of rage

* * *

><p>That night, Harry was struggling to sleep again, memories of his parents swirling maddeningly around in his head. He head a rustle from Allen's bed and he curiously poked his head around the curtains of the four poster. Allen was pulling clothes on over his pyjamas, obviously struggling to sleep. Harry rolled back over into his bed. He would never understand how Allen had the willpower to leave his warm bed to go outside in the wintertime. It struck him just he was settling down to sleep that Allen had looked rather strange- his usually ivory white skin had seemed almost... gray. Harry dismissed the thought as drowsiness finally crept over him. Must've been a trick of the light or something.<p>

If he had continued to watch his friend, he might have been rather more concerned. Allen walked rather zombie-like, still half asleep to the end of the dorm, reaching out confidently for the door handle at the wrong part of the wall. His brow wrinkled slightly in confusion but after feeling about for one he eventually found the door and strode confidently through, nearly falling down the steps, completely misjudging where they were. He made his way down to the common room and seemed to get his bearings back and although it took some time to navigate his way through the portrait hole, he strode purposefully through the school, till once again he seemed not to notice a set of stairs. He jerked suddenly as he caught himself and he seemed to snap out of a trance. He looked around himself in confusion and slowly made his way back to the common room, glancing around him as if expecting someone to jump out and tell him it had been a practical joke. The moonlight shone over his pale face but he eventually seemed to dismiss it, sinking back into his four poster and falling immediately into a deep sleep

(1)- They still think Mana was Allen's father

for those of you who are interested, I chose a Wolf as his patronus as they are pack animals and are very loyal to their group. I chose arctic wolf purely because they are pretty. And white :P


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N This is a long preamble. My responses to people is written like**_ **this** _**and you can ignore the rest if your aren't interested**_

_**If you are interested, I just wanted to share something about myself. I am going out this summer to Ghana to build a hospital- I am working with a company called reallywildchallanges who will send me and my friends out to Ghana and supply materials to build a health centre if we each raise £2500 for Marie curie and sick kids jointly. This is my website if anyone is interested**_

_** GraceSummers**_

_**I have a blog, twitter and in two weeks I am doing a sponsored 24+ hours stay awake in which I will be filming myself doing challenges and posting them on YouTube. This is something I am very proud and excited about so if any of you would like to watch I would really like that. I'm not asking you to donate or anything, just it is something I am working very hard to do and I don't know... I liked the thought of sharing it with you guys so yeah... Yay Ghana! Oh and if**__**anyone wants, I'll be more than happy to add you on fb... Now I just sound like a stalker. I'm gonna stop talking now... :D**_

**coronadomontes- i am still not quite sure what I'm doing with the Noah and magic but we will just have to see how the story develops. They may be wizards of some form but I haven't really decided one way or the other yet**

**Evil fanfictionist- thank you so much! I'm really glad your enjoying it :)**

**Diavo- so true! We must be thinking along the same lines- I introduce that idea in this chapter :D though no falling in love with rhode!**

**Poisonousdeamon- I'm glad the format is better and yeah, I just liked the idea of a wolf. Glad you agree!**

**Burnished angel- I caaaant! I do try but affect and effect will always confuse me :( I have a grammar nazi for a sister too which doesn't make that any better. You should be gratefull that this is even readable because my spelling is pretty atrocious too :P Just correct me when you find a mistake and I'll go fix it :)**

Allen took up a firm stance, holding his body weight low and swaying lightly from foot to foot, staring determinedly at the trunk in the middle of Lupins classroom. He closed is eyes, taking deep breaths and concentrating hard on something. Eventually, he opened his eyes and nodded to Lupin who in turn opened the trunk. Filthy grey smoke spewed out of its depths and rose up in a tower, forming the tall figure of the dementor. Allen raised hhis wand desperately but hardly got the word "expect" out of hi mouth before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor. Lupin sent the dementor back to its box and patiently revive his pupil, handing him over a box of toffees as allen had complained about chocolate after a few lessons. He sat down beside the young boy and took a piece for himself

"What memory are you using Allen? I think you are going to have to change it- its clearly not working for you"

"I'm using the first time i took Mai on the carousel ride and that was the first time she laughed. It is the happiest memory I have- I cant understand why it wont work"

Lupin considered this for a while then "Well tell me then what memory the dementors are using against you. Its not always about how happy the memory is but sometimes it is about how strong it is. If this happy memory is in any way linked to your bad memories, it makes it easier for them to corrupt it"

It was Allen's turn this time to sit in silence. He didn't reply until he had half finished the box of toffee's. He heaved a great sigh and said

"The circumstances I got Mai in weren't exactly ideal. I found her only a few days after my fathers death and that memory is what they always use against me"

Lupin nodded "Well that explains why you were having such trouble. You are just going to have to find a happy memory that cant be linked with your fathers death and then you should be fine" He took the box o toffees back and started setting the classroom back in order

"It'll have to wait until next lesson though. you are too tired to go through this again today"

Allen however didn't leave strait away. He hovered uncertainly by the door for a while before blurting out

"But sir, all of my happy memories are with Mai- I don't have any that aren't linked with her so all of them are corrupted" His shoulders slumped despondently "I'll never be able to make a Patronus" he wailed despairingly

Lupin strode over to Allen and frowned rather disapprovingly at him

"Is your life here so horrible that you have not one happy memory out of the year and a half you've spent here? Are your friends so terrible that they have never once made you laugh or smile? Is Dumbledore such a horrible foster father that he has never made you feel safe or cared for? You need to stop being so selfish Allen and realise that you aren't the only person capable of caring for people- your friends all love you and you are surrounded by people who care for you. Don't insult them by imagining that you are all alone in the world." He walked over to the trunk againn and stood beside it, hand on the latch

"Think this time Allen and tell me when you are ready"

Allen closed his eyes, waves of shame and confusion crashing alternately over him. He hadn't thought of it that way before. He was so used to being the one who cared and the one who sacrificed that he had been blind to what others had been doing for him. He remembered now all the times Ron, Harry and Hermione had stood by him, supported him even when they knew he was keeping secrets from them. All the times they had cheered him up and helped him. He remembered how Madame Pomfrey and so many of the other teachers had made him feel at home for the first time in since Mana. He remembered how Dumbledore had helped him when he most needed help an how he had so many times calmed him down after a restless night or a bad Akuma encounter with kind words and a steaming mug of hot butterbeer. More than any one memory however, how just concentrated on the feeling of protection and safety he had enjoyed while around his new family. He allowed the feeling to fill him up until he almost felt like bursting and then he needed to Lupin, who flicked the catch, setting the Bogart loose once more. This time however, the dense chill didn't sweep over his body like it normally did and for a split second,the happy memories protected him from its powers. He raised hhis wand again and shouted the incantation before the brief respite disappeared. The huge silver wolf erupted from the and tip and at his command, chased the bogart back into the box.

Allen exited the room with a huge grin plastered across his face and Lupin's words of praise still echoing around his head, feeling more contented that he had since the start of the term, when the Dementors were first introduced.

Allen slowed slightly as he passed the darkened library, a pang of guilt hitting him. Between all the training and revising he had been doing, he had been able to do very little for Hagrid and Buckbeak. The execution was set for tomorrow and it seemed like there was no hope left. Stupid Malfoy and his insatiable ego- both him and his father were stuck up morons but there really was nothing to be done at this stage. Allen sighed and after deliberating for a moment, he headed off to the room of requirement. He would be back in time for the execution- to be with Hagrid but at the moment, he really needed to get out- due to the increase in Dementor patrols and his inability to be about them without passing out, he hadn't been able to get out for months. Just the thought of all those souls he hadn't been able to save turned his stomach but now he had managed to master the Patronus, he would be fine. He ran up to the owlry first to search for Timcampy but the little golem had once again gone missing- he probably was wondering about the forbidden forest somewhere traumatising Bowtruckles and Fairies alike. He paused uncertainly for a short while but he couldn't leave it for another night- he had already wasted so much time. He set his face determinedly and swung himself onto his broom, casting his Patronus to fly before himself, bursting through the ranks of thhe Dementors and the barrier, shooting out into the clear nights sky

Lenalee sat patiently on the sofa in front of her snoring brother as section chief Reever lent down and quietly whispered in his ear

"Komui, did ya hear? Lenalee is getting married!" Komui shot out of his seat faster than a bulled from a gun and clung to Lenalee's skirts sobbing about how she had broken his heart and about how he was going to brake the boys neck. She blushed brightly and gave him to the count of ten before braining him with her clipboard. This seemed to bbring him back to his senses surpriingly quickly and he pulled a few files from his desk

"There is a new phenomenon we need investigating. There is a small town from which we think no one is able to enter or leave. Deliveries are ordered every week yet supplies never manage to reach them had the delivery men can never explain why and yet, each week the same deliveries are made. we believe Innocence is involved" He handed over the information pack for her to look over

"Is it just me going out, brother?" she asked as she poured over the booklet. She glanced up and to her dismay, her brothers eyes were streaming again

"Yes, poor little sister! Kanda and Lavi were sent off on another mission last night so its just you but we can cancel, what was I thinking sending you on your own? There's no way I could let you do that my little angel!" but before he could carry on, she brained him one last time and stood up primly

"I'll leave right away" she said, ignoring his wails of 'Lenaleeeeeee' and striding out of his office without a backward glance.

It was just starting to get light out when Allen came across a small village. He Hadn't come across one Akuma all night and he was starving. After a moments consideration, he landed and cast a disillusionment charm on his broom and backpack before setting off into town. It was the weekend anyway so it didn't really matter what time he came back at. It was quite a quaint little place and after realising that they didn't have any all-you-can-eat buffets, he wondered into a small restaurant and settled for ordering everything. Twice. He was just polishing off his second bacon and eggs when he saw something that almost caused his heart to stop. Amongst the crowds of blondes and brunettes, he saw a green haired girl. He twisted in his seat, straining to get a better look at her. The crowd thinned somewhat and he got a better look at her- it was definitely the exorcist girl- she looked rather lost, staring down each street she passed and frequently turning around to see what was behind her. He watched her curiously but then her searching eyes found his. Allen caught his breath and spun around, ducking his head and avidly staring at the table cloth. There was no reason she should think anything of it- he was just a stranger who happened to catch her eye but he was a white haired, scarred young stranger. He groaned and thumped his head on the table. Suddenly the resteraunt bell rang, he turned in his seat staying low and his worst fears were confirmed- she was standing in the doorway, scanning the room for someone- for him! Keeping low down, he slipped off his seat and made his way slowly to the fire exit door, ducking behind the tables as he went. He had almost reached it when a voice ran out across the resteraunt

"Hey, you there- can I talk to you please?" Without a backwards glance, he flung himself out the door and sprinted off down the street, randomly picking streets and lanes to run down, trying to throw her off his trail. He almost fell over as he sharply turned another corner and all of a sudden, his eye activated. It honed in on an Akuma at the end of the street, hovering over a cowering figure. He straitened up and walked down the cobbled street, trying to get as close to the creature as he could without alerting it to his presence. It seemed to be talking to her which was weird but ten it reached out its long claws to her exposed neck and he figured he had waited long enough

"Please let go of her" He said calmly, hoping to distract the Akuma from the young woman and catch it off guard.

"Good afternoon, Akuma" He smiled as it turned to face him

Lenalee danced from rooftop to rooftop, frustratedly scanning the streets for the white haired boy. She had been searching for hours but he seemed to have disappeared completely. It was possible of course that he had nothing too do with innocence or the strange phenomenon but innocence had a tendency to make itself noticeable and he certainly had been noticeable. She spun around sharply when she heard a loud bang somewhere behind her. Without a moments hesitation, she flew off in the direction of the noise. As she neared it, a woman ran full tilt past her but she payed little attention, more shocked by the white haired young boy who was mid-battle with an Akuma and seemed to be fighting it with his arm- and winning!. The young boy leapt through the air and brought the claws of his hand down with tremendous force on the Akuma and leapt back before it exploded. Determined not to loose him again, Lenalee sprinted down to him

"Wait a minute please, we need to talk" The boys eyes widened as soon as he saw her and he tried to run away but she caught up with him

"I'm not going to hurt you- I just want to talk" she cried, catching his arm and spinning him around. He tried to twist out of her grip and run away again but she caught a hold of his other arm and held him steady. He wriggled like a caught fish and succeeded in freeing himself- she only just managed to catch a hold of him again before he ran away

"I wont hurt you- I just want to talk"

Allen nervously walked into a small coffee shop, with the exorcist girl- Lenalee keeping a firm grip on his sleeve. He had ran away multiple times but soon found that he was unable to leave the town. Every time he had tried to get beyond a certain point, he found himself back in the town again. As much as he distrusted the Order, he needed to figure out how to get out so he could get back to Hogwarts before lessons started again. They sat down at one of the tables and Allen ordered the whole stand of cupcakes- He was going to need a lot of sugar to get through this

"There's this thing called Innocence" Lenalee started as Allen tucked into his tower of cupcakes "And a counter substance called dark matter which that monster you killed is made from. I work for a company who fight against the man who makes these monsters and try to collect all the pieces of innocence we can. We would like to recruit you and figure pout how to stop your innocence from trapping this town in a bubble" Allen looked at her, half confused and half amused

"I know what Innocence and Akuma are, I have been using my innocence for quite some time. I don't have anything to do with this town being stuck- I got caught in here just like you. In fact I was hopping you would be able to help me get out. I think I saw the woman responsible for this but she ran away when I started to fight the Akuma." Lenalee gaped at him for some time before finding her voice

"You're the rogue exorcist " she gasped when she regained her breath

"I've been ordered to take you in"

There was a long silence during which Allen downed the rest of his cakes, politely wiped his mouth and then calmly pointed out that neither of them was going anywhere or doing anything any time soon unless they spoke to the woman causing the town to rewind and if she wanted the chance to try and arrest him, she may wish to try and catch the woman who was standing right outside the shop.

Lenalee sat opposite the terrified woman who seemed to be the centre of all the chaos. This was not a good situation she was in- stuck in a rewinding town with a hysterical woman and a completely unknown entity. Besides all that, she had to rely on this strange boy for help. Miranda, nervous as she was trusted him because he had saved her and she knew she couldn't arrest him and figure this out by herself because the already terrified woman would probably freak out completely. On the other hand, she had no idea what motives were driving this boy, whose side he was on and what he would do with the innocence if he got a hold of it before she did. She would just need to play along with him for the time being and once the innocence had been discovered, neutralise him. Once he came to the order and found out what they were really about he wouldn't be o hostile and she would have another brother. He looked kind and gentle despite his aversion to the order. He was polite too and had a way of talking to the half-crazed woman that kept her sane. Yes, he would soon see that the order was ultimately a force for good and they would have two more additions to the family. All of a sudden, Allen stood up

"You may wish to take her out of here" He said calmly, his scarred eye turning black with a searing red pupil

"These village people aren't quite what they seem" He stood up, his arm seamlessly transforming into the huge claw she had seen before as the three villagers twisted and warped into Akuma. Lenalee made a split second decision and grabbed Miranda by the waist, shooting out the door and speeding across the rooftops. She sent a worried look back to the small shop but there was nothing she could do- she had to protect the innocence at all costs.

Allen staggered up to the apartment, a small line of blood trickling out of his ear and an even longer one soaking through the leg of his trousers. Inside, Miranda was feverishly polishing a large grandfather clock. He explained to Lenalee what had happened with the Akuma and she listened attentively

"There was no way you could have taken on three level two's by yourself anyway. You were lucky they stopped when they did" She smiled gently, as she held out a first aid kit questioningly. Allen paused momentarily then nodded and rolled up his trouser leg for her to clean the wound

"I want to talk to you abut the order Allen, I really think once I explain..." He gently placed a finger on her lips, silencing her

"I am sorry, Lenalee. You seem like a very nice person and it is nothing personal but I could never join t he order. I know what they do and I know how they act. They place the needs of some above the needs of others based on whether or not it is profitable for them to help. If innocence isn't involved in an Akuma's presence, they dont help- they leave the Akuma to suffer" Lenalee gave him a questioning look and he smiled slightly

"My eye, it lets me see the trapped souls inside the Akuma. It lets me see their pain and suffering as they are forced to kill. I don't care about innocence or politics, I just want to save as many Akuma as possible and joining the order won't help me do that. Besides all that, I know the Order's track record isn't exactly squeaky clean- I have a young daughter and I don't want her to get cauught up in anything" He chuckled at the shocked look on Lenalee's face "She's adopted" He said, answering her unasked question. Before she could say anything else, the town started to rewind again, a huge gale sweeping through the room. Lenalee reached for him and he caught her hand, clinging on for dear life as his feet were swept out from under him

Allen balanced in a practiced way on top of a huge circus ball- it was funny how all his circus skills seemed to come back so easily. This situation he was in was just so strange- he had to make a woman he had never met before in his life feel worthwhile so that he could escape this crazy town and get back to Hogwarts. He had already been away two days- it was not good. Not good at all. Lenalee smiled at him as she handed out leaflets to passer by's. He hadn't really meant to tell her so much about his life but she was just so trustworthy- besides, he had told him a lot of personal information as well. A cry distracted him from his thoughts- poor Miranda had been pick pocketed. In a vain attempt to get the money back and convince her that she wasn't completely useless, Allen chased after then man with Lenalee hot on his heels but when they eventually caught up with his, he turned out to be an Akuma

"It's a trap" Allen cried uselessly but it was too late for either of them to escape the battle. They both flew viciously to their own Akuma however the same one Allen had faced the last time let out its ungodly shriek which spilt its way through both the teens heads making it almost impossible to focus on anything but making the noise stop. Allen gritted his teeth and dodged an ice bullet from the other Akuma, reachiing into his pocket and pulling out his wand

"Silencio" He yelled, hardly able to hear his own voice. The shriek stopped but his ears were ringing so loudly he hardly noticed at first then gathering his its, he attacked

"Help me!" He yelled to Lenlee who left up and brought her foot down with tremendous force on his hand, driving his claw deep down into the Akuma's metal shell and for the first time since Alexi's father, he felt his Innocence changing into its gun shape. He very quickly sent of as many successive shots as he could before it reverted to its usual form, he jumped away from the unfortunate Akuma and glanced up as it exploded, smiling ever so slightly as he saw the soul escape from it and soar off into the sky just before another explosion knocked him off his feet and his vision turned black

He came too slowly, foggyness clinging to his brain like a thick cloud. He blinked repeatedly to clear his vision and even when it did eventually clear, he couldn't believe his eyes. Miranda was impaled by spikes onto her beloved clock. Lenalee was slumped in a high backed chair, a young, freaky looking kid grinning next to her wearing her exorcist coat

"Lenalee!" He screamed and tried to move toward her but he was unable to move and a sudden blinding pain shot through his arm. He turned in disbelief to look at his arm which was pinned to the wall with the same candy striped spikes that were holding Miranda. He looked in desperation and confusion at the young kid who was dancing around Lenalee's chair, singing her name cheerily

"What are you doing?" He gasped "why are you helping the Akuma? Akuma hunt and kill humans and you are a human. Why are you helping them?" The child's grin widened as she licked a drop of blood off her fingertip

"Akuma can be used by humans to kill other humans. I and my family are the true disciples. We are righting the balance of the world. Together with the Millennium Earl we will build a new world free from you weak humans. We are the true apostles of god"

Allen reeled in shock. Humans working for the very man who was trying to wipe humans from earth to replace them with twisted machines powered by sorrow and pain. No. He couldn't let this happen. He had to save Lenalee and Miranda and the Akuma and this young girl whose mind had been so twisted. Ignoring the pain, he ripped his arm off the wall. The pain blasted through his body, and he was unable to carry through on the attack. Suddenly, he felt the girls small, warm body press against him

"I am. Human" she whispered into his ear "feel that? That is my bodies heat"

Allen paused mid-attack

"You are human? You are like us? Then why?"

She chuckled eerily, sending shivers up and down his spine

"Not quite like you"

She grabbed his innocence and impaled herself with it. As his claws pierced her, he felt the innocence react to her like it reacted to the Akuma. She was the enemy there was no doubt about that. She pulled back, seemingly unbothered by her injuries, her skin knitting together in front of her eyes

"We Noah are nothing like you puny humans" she hissed, driving one of the floating candles deep into his eye

The pain almost knocked him out but he battled through it- he had to save them. He had to save the all. He charged at the girl the weird pumpkin had called Rhode but she sent the remaining two Akuma after him. He knew there was no way he could take two level twos on by himself. In desperation, he touched the wand that still lay in his pocket but didnt withdraw it. Something told him he would be better to keep that weapon a secret for as long as possible. As qetly as possible he whispered "protegro" The shield charm caused them to deflect allowing him to catch one off guard. He sunk his claws deep into its armoured shell, gritting his teeth, pushing through the pain and digging them in as deep as possible. He felt them penetrate fully just before the other Akuma hit him from behind, flinging him across the room. The little girl screamed in anger as the Akuma he attacked exploded. Still yelling, her face twisted in anger, she swept her hand towards Miranda, sending all the spiked candles towards her at a furious speed. Without a second thought, Allen flung himself in front of them, wrapping his arms around her and whispering the shield charm again. He wasn't quite quick enough this time though and some of the candles pierced his body. Blood pooled around him and he looked numbly up at Miranda's terrified face

"It's ok" he said reassuringly, forcing a smile "you're going to be ok" Rhode sent the final Akuma towards him and he tried hard to concentrate on staying conscious. His vision flickered worryingly as he fought to stay upright. He wasn't going to show any weakness- he wouldn't let her win. He was about to try one last act of defiance when he felt Miranda's thin arms wrap around his body. Her clock started glowing and he smiled slightly. Her innocence was activating. He body felt warm all over and the pain dissapitated. Hardly believing his eyes, he looked down to see his suit free of blood and puncture holes, even his eye was healed. He smiled as he looked up at Miranda

"You've saved us! Thank you" ignoring her shocked face, he turned to face Rhode who was floating undecidedly outside the bubble Miranda had created. He made an angry swipe at her, missing just but before he could go any further, he remember Lenalee. He carefully released her from her chair and together they turned to face Rhode and the remaining Akuma. They fought like cornered lions but Rhode was powerful

"I have waited a long time to meet you Allen" she purred languidly as she looked down on them "you are the most interesting exorcist I have ever met" Lenalee and Allen exchanged looks but he decided correcting her would not be in their best interests so he shook his head ever so slightly

"Akuma" she chirped childishly "you and your friends have been a huge disappointment to me today. Self destruct at the count of ten. Ten. Nine. Eight" Allen looked in confusion between her and the Akuma

"I don't understand, what are you doing?" Rhode leered at him as the pumpkin continued the countdown

"Did you know that if an Akuma is destroyed by anything but innocence, it devolves into dark matter, the soul doesn't escape" Allen's eyes widened and he instinctively tightened his hand around his wand but the wand wasn't innocence- what if it just had the same effect? In an act of desperation, he flung himself at the Akuma but something caught him around the middle and right before his eyes, the final Akuma exploded and the soul dissapitated. Disappeared. Right before his eyes. In a fit of rage, he flew at Rhode who was disappearing through a door, he held the gun to her head, tears streaming down his face

"Tut tut Allen" she sang "crying over an Akuma? You'll never fit in if you carry on like this" and she stepped though the door which snapped shut behind her. He stood staring numbly after her for a bit and then returned to Lenalee and Miranda. She was right. He would never fit in at the order. For a while there he had considered it- Mai could have stayed at Hogwarts- she would have been well looked after and he could have gone with the sweet, kind Lenalee and the timid Miranda, made a family, a home but he already had a family, a home. And they accepted him for who he was- an Akuma loving exorcist. Miranda reluctantly relinquished her power and the pain from his injuries hit him like a hammed blow, knocking the air out of his lungs and blackness started sneaking in at the edges of his vision but he knew he couldn't let go. Lenalee was planning to take him back to the order by force and he was in no shape to fight her. He wrapped his fingers around his wand again and whistled

"Accio broom" under his breath while Lenalee was distracted. The broom, still under the disillusionment charm nudged him gently as it soared through the window. He disillusioned himself and wearily swung his leg over the broom, slumping down on it, trying to preserve what little strength he had left.

The blackness had more or less narrowed his vision to a pinprick when he came into view of the great dark castle. Hoping desperately that the Dementors were busy doing something else, he removed the disillusionment charm so that someone could find him when he eventually lost...

He came too bandaged up like a badly wrapped parcel in the hospital wing with Ron in the bed opposite him. The bored teenager quite willingly filled him in on all that had happened since he left

"You don't need to worry" she said, seeing the worry on the small patch of Allen's face that wasn't swaddled in bandages

"No one even noticed you were missing with this whole Sirius debacle and it was Lupin who found you and he isn't about to say anything to anyone" Allen sighed in relief and relaxed back against the cushion

Madame Pomfrey came bustling in, scolding Ron for talking to him when he needed to preserve all his strength for healing

"What you have been up to I don't even want to thing about" she muttered moodily as she slathered about twenty different types of ointment over each of the puncture wounds and bandaged them back up again

"Wounds the like of which I have never seen before nor would ever like to see again. Fool of a child" still muttering, she bustled around the bed, doing everything within her power to make him comfortable despite her multiple threats to strap him to the bed and never let him up again

Allen limped down the corridor, nervously looking over his shoulder to check for the matron but thankfully he seemed to be in the clear. He knocked politely on Lupins door and was ushered in with the usual smile and was forced to sit down before he collapsed. He was surprised to see Dumbledore standing at Lupins desk. He smiled warmly at Allen

"It's good to see you are well enough to get back to your usual rule breaking and meddling" he said in a half serious and half teasing tone, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Allen smiled slightly and blushed

"It's ok though Allen, I have the feeling your here for the same reason I am. Maybe you will have more luck" he waved his arm in Lupins direction and Allen turned to face him

"I don't want you to leave sir" he blurted out without any preamble "you saved my life, twice. Once with the Patronus and the other time when you found me. Pease don't go. You're the best teacher Hogwarts has ever seen" Lupin smiled rather indulgently

"You're just lucky I found you as a human and not as a werewolf because believe me if I had found you as a werewolf, you would not be alive. But enough of this talk - I have a feelings you came to ask me something else

Allen slowly began to re tell his adventure and both the adults listened intently to everything he said. By the end of the story Lupin looked distinctly green and the twinkle had dissapeared from Dumbledores eyes to be replaced by an intense sadness

"I should have saved that Akuma" Allen whispered, tears splashing onto his bandages "I should have been better. Faster" Dumbledore reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder

"You can't save everyone Allen, the sooner you realise this the better. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try to save everyone, it just means you need to realise you won't be able to save everyone" Allen turned his tortured eyes to Dumbledore

"But it is my job to save them. If I don't, who will?" Dumbledore sighed heavily and crouched down

"If its any consolation, I have seen certain aspects of magic similar to this and I know that that Akuma's soul is not lost" Allen gasped in disbelief and looked hopefully up again

"The dark matter as it was attacked with dark matter was not destroyed so yes, it is true that the soul is still trapped but if the dark matter that is used to trap souls is destroyed if it is wiped off the face of this earth I believe that all the souls trapped by the earl will be freed. If you destroy the means for making Akuma, then every Akuma will be saved"


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N- yeah, I know this is late- in my defence, this is my third draft, the app I tried to write it on really seemed to dislike it because it deleted it twice Twice! I was not pleased **

**Arathelia- thank you, I really did struggle to come up with a way of them meeting without it being awkward. The rewinding town seemed the best idea because it meant Allen couldn't run away and Lenalee couldn't take him to the order. Glad you liked it though now I have to come up with a believable scenario for him meeting Kanda and Lavi :s**

**Sonnenfrost- why thanks! I was really worried about how that bit would work out but yeah, I think imasked sense- Allen is perfectly happy where he is... For now... That may change in the future :P**

**PoisonousDemon- I am so excited about going out! And things may chage, I'm sure if your determined enough you'll be angle to do something similar in the future- it doesn't need to be somewhere ads far as Ghana to be awesome! And yeah, I just needed to have that in. It made no sense to me that there would be a set up where okay the Akuma lucky enough to be killed by the right people would get to go free. Just seemed rather unfair.**

**cowsaremyfriends49- oh yeah... Mind you, dean did sort of follow seamus's lead if I remember correctly but you are right :s oopsies!**

Allen strode out into the sun washed grounds, taking a deep breath of the warm summer air and relishing the feeling of the sun on his face after being stuck in the infirmary for so long. Granted the only reason he had been allowed out from under Madame Pomfrey's hawk like gaze was because she had run out of herbs for his eye and she didn't have enough time to go get them herself but that was besides the point- for now at least, he was free. He wondered through the ground aimlessly, halfheartedly gazing about the ground as if hoping the plant would jump out at him and announce its presence. He was examining a rather likely looking clump of flowers when a familiar, lilting voice startled him

"Have you lost something?" Came the unmistakable tones of Luna Lovegood. Allen turned and smiled in greeting

"Not exactly, Madame Pomfrey's sent me out to find some aconite for my eye" he explained

"Oh, aconite? You'll never find that here. It likes lots of water" Luna said matter of factly and caught his hand, pulling him down in the direction of the lake. Allen followed, his eyes wide with shock but even if he had wanted to pull away from her, he probably couldn't have managed- for all the size of her, she was strong enough. Besides, the easy way with which she had caught his hand had felt sort of natural. He suddenly realised that it was actually his cursed hand she was holding but before he could begin to worry that she would feel the leathery skin beneath his glove, she dropped his hand and knelt down. Allen curled his hand shut, the warm impression of her small hand still lingering there. He watched curiously as she rooted amongst a cluster of flowers, then held a bundle of blue blooms triumphantly to him.

"Hey, do you want me to take a look at your eye?" She chirped " Madame Pomfrey might discharge you earlier if I clean it up a bit before you go back"

Allen opened his mouth to say 'no' but somewhere between his brain and voice box, the signal went a bit squiffy and came out as

"Yeah, sure"

Luna beamed and ran down to the lake, conjuring up a bowl and filling it with water. She waved her wand over it as she walked back up, cleaning it. Allen knelt down in front of her so she could unravel the bandage. Thankfully by this stage his eye had regenerated enough that the hole Road had bored through it was healed over, however it still was swollen and oozed horribly. Luna seemed completely unperturbed by this and she simply cast a spell to clean the bandage then tore a strip off. She set the bowl down on the ground behind her with a few of the azure petals shredded in it and set it boiling cheerily with another spell. Turning back to face him, she started gently cleaning his eye. The warm sun beat down on the two teens, gently cooking them as they sat in a comfortable silence, broken only when Luna cleaned the bandage again. When she finished, she ordered him to lie down and set a section of the bandage, soaked in the flower infused water on his eye. She lay down beside him and a very welcome cool breeze whipped up the smell of baked grass and flowers around them.

"This is truly the most beautiful place in all the world" Allen sighed contentedly, stretching his good arm out behind himself to use as a pillow. Luna hummed in agreement as she lazily chased Timcampy about with her hands- giggling every time she caught him. Tim seemed to enjoy this game as much as she did, fluttering teasingly in and out if her reach, his golden wings blazing in the sun

"It doesn't hurt that the dementors have gone now" she said in her odd, childish voice "the sun is always that much warmer after a cloud has passed over it" the profound statement sounded strange coming from her, especially as she followed it up with

"Speaking of clouds, don't yo think that one there looks rather like a porcupine trying to eat a burger?" In exactly the same tone. Allen was rather incoherent for a while as he laughed so hard, he nearly cracked his newly healed ribs. Luna gave him a rather perturbed look, as confused by him as he was by her. Allen tried to regain control of himself, alternating between laughing and groaning, with his bandaged arm wrapped around his ribs

"What actually happened to yo?" Luna asked, looking curiously at his injuries

"Oh I had a falling out with the whomping willow" Allen lied smoothly.

"I must have picked something up from the soil or bark though because my wounds seem very reluctant to heal" he winced as his ribs gave him another pointed stab as if to prove his point. Luna looked rather unconvinced so Allen tried to distract her

"Where did you learn to heal so well?" He questioned

"I was always a tomboy as a kid, so I got into a lot of scrapes" she explained, still scrutinising him carefully "I could hardly get my dad to magic me better every time so I learned a little muggle medicine" she reached up and removed the makeshift poultice from his eye. The cool air felt nice on the swollen skin and Allen was glad she didn't bandage it up strait away. Instead she curiously traced his scar with a cool fingertip, a vaguely intrigued expression on her face.

"Allen" she said eventually "were you by any chance attacked by an Akuma when you were younger?"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Lenalee perched nervously on the edge of the seat, her back ramrod strait as she studied her brother, trying to figure out what was going through his mind but despite knowing him so well, she could make out nothing. Eventually he seemed to snap out of his trance and picked up a pen, placing it on the report sheet

"How did he manage to get away from you Lenalee? I have yet to meet someone who can move as quickly as you."

Lenalee sighed slightly. She felt incredibly guilty. Even though there was no way she could have stopped him- he had disappeared in the blink of an eye- she couldn't deny that she was glad he had got away. The way his face had softened when he spoke of her daughter, well, it had melted her heart. Komui nodded as she told him exactly what had happened, noting it all down. The scientist in him came to the surface as his eyes lit up with curiosity

"It must be some sort of cloaking device- I wonder if it is linked to a innocence or it something he made himself. One would imagine its not his innocence as it tends to either have just the one use or very similar uses- it is very unlikely that it would act as both a weapon and shield though we mustn't rule it out." He shook himself slightly and the soppy brother replaced the serious scientist "How I go on. You must be exhausted sister dear, what was I thinking keeping you like that. Can't have you falling sick on us- go get some rest" Lenalee turned to leave the room but she paused with her hand on the doorknob then, steeling herself, turned back

"Brother... If you... I mean if there had been some way... If it had been possible, theoretically of course, for you to have taken me away from the order and raise me outwith this place while still fighting against the Akuma, would you have"

There was a painfully long silence and Lenalee began to regret asking the question. she wasn't even sure why she was asking it- it was just that she was sort of trying to justify her actions. Surely if her brother would have considered going down a similar road to Allen in order to protect her like he was trying to protect his daughter then maybe her sympathy for him was justified- her unwillingness to track him down and force him to join the order he hated so was not treacherous but understandable. Komui seemed to understand what she was getting at as well, a rather scrutinising light coming into his eye. He took her query seriously though and seemed to be struggling to come up with an answer but eventually he did reply

"My one and only goal in life is to keep you as safe and as happy as possible, whatever the means, although I am not strong enough to protect you from everything in this world, I will continue to do my best for you" His eyes shone slightly as gazed intently at her, as if trying to out some meaning across that he couldn't say in words. She crossed the room and hugged him tightly whispering around the lump in her throat

"I know Komui, and I do feel safe, and I am happy. You have succeeded" she turned on her heel and escaped the room before she burst into tears and upset him even more. Escaping out into the small courtyard she took a number of deep calming breaths, berating herself soundly for asking in the way she had. She hoped fervently that she hadn't made him feel like he had failed her as a brother- she knew that he had done everything he could have to help her but it was just playing on her mind- this idea that one could be an exorcist and fight for the good of mankind without being on the side of the order. She shook her head firmly and strode back inside, banishing the thoughts to the back of her mind. It was not even to be thought about. There was no way she could leave now. Not that she wanted to anyway.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Allen was never more grateful for the poker face he had perfected over the years as he was that day

"A what?" He asked innocently, hiding his shock behind a smooth mask. His heart was going at a hundred miles an hour though and his brain had gone into a blind spin- how did she know about Akuma and what did she know about them?

"An Akuma" she repeated more slowly, demolishing any hopes Allen held that he had just misheard her

"I've never heard of them before" he said after pretending to think for a bit "my scar is just from a backfired curse- it's a little like Harry's" a drop of cold sweat worked its way uncomfortably between his shoulder blades as he struggled to keep his tone light and friendly. Luna however wasn't giving up so easily

"They leave marks like that pentagon when they attack" she said, gesturing to his scar "though usually people don't survive an attack by them. Maybe it's because you are a wizard- the only killings I've heard about were muggles"

Allen's mouth went dry

"W-who did you hear all this from?" He queried, clenching his fist behind him, trying to relieve some of the tension that was billowing up inside him

"Oh, one of my dads contacts has a friend in Japan who witnessed an attack" Luna said airily, thankfully seeming unaware of the stress she was inducing upon Allen. That statement however relieved the pressure and he relaxed in relief- it was just one person then, and not even someone she knew personally. He heaved an internal sigh of relief- still not letting anything slip on his calm mask. He figured he may as well use this opportunity to learn exactly what she knew though

"Well, thankfully I have never met one of them. What do they look like?" He asked, forcing a tone of nochalance, as he stared out across the sparkling lake, feigning neutrality toward the conversation

"Well, according to our witness, they look like limbless elephants and they can fly. They are purple and can shoot fire out of their trunks and this fire if it touches you, spreads pentagons all over your skin and you die" she said, completely serious. This time, Allen couldn't help but allow some of his emotions to slip on his face as he grinned to himself

"I'll certainly keep an eye out for them. I don't need any more scars thank you very much! This one is quite enough to be getting on with" he said, rather teasingly. Luna seemed to pick up on his sarcasm but was as unfazed as usual by his disbelief.

"If you don't mind my asking, how exactly did you get your scar" she said, flipping to her stomach and threading together a chain of the flowers closest to her. This effectively wiped the smirk off Allen's face, though the re-telling of his story was less painful this time round, which he supposed was a positive sign although it did still leave him with a horribly uncomfortable lump in his throat and his insides felt like they had twisted themselves into a huge knot. Luna slipped her hand back into his and gave it a rather supporting squeeze, saying nothing for a long time. They both stared out silently at the failing sunlight as it played on the surface of the lake rather tiredly, as if it were worn out from a days good work. Eventually Luna broke the silence- she said nothing of his experience, but rather told him of hers- putting herself in the same vulnerable position that he had out himself in, which though it did not stop the pain, it did make it somewhat more bearable. Once the sun had completely given up the ghost, they rose to go back inside- prompted partly by the cold and partly by the loud complainings of Allen's stomach. Luna reached up and caught Timcampy as they made their way back to the school and set a small ring of daisies on his head before releasing him. Allen smiled as Tim fluttered about excitedly before settling on Luna's head. She grinned at this and shot Allen a rather smug look

"I think I am his new favourite" she sang, skipping about in fron of him and sticking her tongue out childishly. Allen made a face back at her and scowled at his treacherous companion

"You know, no one believes golems exist" Luna said, shooting a sideways glance at Allen. "There have only ever been eyewitness accounts so the ministry refuse to make them officially a magical creature" Allen gave her a rather confused look

"But I have one here- or haven't you noticed yet? Here's a hint- he is perched on your head" Luna wrinkled her nose at his heavily sarcastic tone

"Yeah well, my dad and I wanted to take him to the ministry to prove their existence or interview you as an eyewitness and owner but Dumbledore wouldn't let us. He is very protective you know. He said that it would be beyond cruel to force you to part with your pet which would undoubtably happen if the ministry caught wind that you had an incredibly rare animal" she gave him a rather piercing stare then, walking backwards so he was facing her and couldn't really escape her gaze

"I'm only saying- just because a creature hasn't been examined by the ministers doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It just takes one one two eyewitnesses to come forward..." She trailed off pointedly but to his relief, she left it there, wrapping his eye up quickly in his bandage just before they entered the hall and walked separate ways to their separate tables.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: So... hey again... apologies for that long break... life happened :P But I'm back! Back with a long(ish) chappy full of plot developing, Kanda and Lavi :D please forgive me**

**Oh ps, I have a very mean boy make some rather ignorant comments in the chapter- his words, not mine!**

Road silently crept along the wall of the room behind the Millenium Earl's rocking chair before leaping up to hug him over the back of the chair

"~good-afternoon Millenie!~" She chirped cheerfully as the momentum of her attack set the chair swinging violently backwards and forwards. The Millenium Earl chuckled indulgently

"Why, good-evening to you too Road, and don't you sound happy- is that fresh blood I smell?" Road giggled uncontrollably as she slid down onto his lap and licked her lips in pleasure

"Thanks for the toys! It's been a while since I have had the pleasure of tasting exorcist blood. This one was odd though- he wasn't wearing that detestable uniform and he had a scarred eye that could see the souls of Akuma. He made a fabulous toy though- promise me Millenie? Promise me I will be allowed to kill this one?" The Millennium Earl joined in with her crazed laughter

"Of course my pet- once my plan is set into motion, you can kill as many as you like- but now to serious business Road- there have been whispers in some circles that the nuisance Tom Riddle did not die in his quest for immortality I need you to determine whether or not these rumours are true. We still owe that piece of scum and you know I cannot break the vow I made with him unless he truly is dead" Road's childish smile was replaced by a distinctly darker one

"That piece of filth! I thought we were rid of him once and for all. How I would love to crush his pathetic human skull" Her eyes glowed with a positively demonic light and the temperature of the room dropped by a number of degrees. The Earl continued on unperturbed by her anger

"Come now Road, you know if it wasn't for him, our family would still be incomplete. The sacrifice we made was worth it- our knowledge about souls in exchange for wizards bodies, the only things capable of holding the Noah memories without bursting. I would happily allow you to kill the scum however he was not as stupid as most humans and the unbreakable vow is as true as its name- although I doubt it would kill me, it is certainly powerful enough to cause me significant harm and I cannot allow that just as my plan is about to come together" The Earl grimaced in anger as he remembered that fateful day when a HUMAN- a stinking creation from the God he detested so much- got the better of him. He snarled as he remembered the smug look on that snake-like man as he drawled in a sickeningly superior voice

"A simple exchange earl- you tell me all you know about souls and binding rituals and in return, I shall offer you up some of my faithful followers to act as vessels for your lost family members"

The only thing that had stopped the Earl from dismembering him on the spot was the tantalising hope that he could somehow restore his family once more. He needed them, his entire plan hinged on them- they were essential to his rise to power and only Road had been left to him. She- so distraught by the loss of her family and betrayal of her closest friend- spent the majority of her time deep within her world of dreams and so was as good as lost to him too

"How do you know your wizarding bodies will be any more suitable to host the memory of a Noah than human ones" He spat, his hand tightly wrapped around his sword, ready to cleave the pale man in two if the answer was not adequate

"I don't but I equally don't know if your knowledge will be of any use to me. It is a gamble on both sides but it is one I am willing to take. The knowledge is valuable enough to me that any gamble- no matter how improbable is worth it. Tell me, do you not feel the same way about your missing family members?"

The Earl half-mad with fury at the taunting tone swung his sword at the mans neck, however before the blow could hit home, the blade halted. The Earl froze in confusion and the pale man turned his emotionless face to the Earl

"We are not as weak as the humans you are used to dealing with"

The Earl returned his blade to its sheath- the man had a point. He clearly was different from most humans. Perhaps this was a gamble worth taking

"How did you hear about us? And what makes you so sure your followers will offer up their lives to you?"

The pale man laughed a cold, empty laugh at this

"My followers will do anything I command them to, no questions asked- come now, surely someone such as you would understand? I'm sure none of your subordinates would ever act outwith your commands" The Earl gritted his teeth at the smug smirk that tugged at the corner of the creatures thin lips

"As to where I learned all this, during my search for this knowledge, I heard of a half-mad clown that claimed to know about a family who tampered with the very souls of the dearly departed. Unlike the others who dismissed his story's as garbage, I decided it was worth hearing. He was unwilling to talk at first but after a friendly drink, he seemed unable to stop from answering every question I had for him. I followed up on the things he told me and it led me here. So tell me, Millenium Earl, do we have a deal? Your knowledge in exchange for a chance to have your family back?"

Silence reigned over the room while the Earl deliberated within himself and all of a sudden, Road, who had remained silent throughout the whole exchange plucked at his sleeve

"You must" She whispered, in a barely audible voice

"You must. The family must be completed, no matter the cost. You must." Then in an even smaller voice "Please"

He knew he had no choice. He needed his family of Noah to fulfil his plans for this world- He needed an assured victory over the Order and even with all his power he knew that he could not stand alone against all of the generals. He needed his bishops and knights back- this game could not be played solely with pawns.

"Fine. I agree." He spat between clenched teeth

"Ah-ah" admonished the wizard "Not so quickly- do you think I would be so foolish as to simply trust your word? We shall make an unbreakable vow- if either party breaks their half of the bargain, they die."

The Earl nodded and Voldemort gestured to a Death Eater than had been hiding behind him the entire time. He and the Earl gripped each others arms and the two opponents locked gaze, the intensity in both their eyes blazing with a furious heat

"Will you, Tom Marvelo Riddle swear to pledge one wizard for every lost member of the Noah clan?" The trembling servant stuttered, his wand lightly touching the joined enemies

"I will" Voldemort said, calmly, only a brief flash of fire lighting his eyes at the mention of his detested name

"And shall you, Sennen Hakushaku swear to share your knowledge pertaining to the workings of and binding of human souls with Tom Marvello Riddle?"

"I will" pledged the Earl, with only the briefest hesitation. He released his grip, however, Voldemort held on

"Will you, Sennen Hakushaku swear to leave the pure-blooded wizarding community out of your plans for destruction?" The trembling wizard continued

The Earls eyes bugged

"That was not part of the deal" He snarled

"Will you pull away, making the vow void?" Voldemort countered "If you do this, I will even make another valuable vow- I shall prevent knowledge of the Noah clan and Akuma from ever reaching the Wizarding community until it is no longer possible for the well meaning fools to try and stop you"

A long, silence filled the room until eventually

"I will"

The Earl clenched his fist in fury as he remembered the humiliating experience of having a human play him for a fool. He thought that he was free of the scum however if the rumours were to be believed...

"No my child, we shall bide our time and keep our word to leave the wizarding community alone. They have their own battle to fight so we shall wait and allow them to kill each other off then once the order has been overthrown and the heart is ours, we shall crush them like the ants they are!"

A wide grin stretched across Roads face

"Yes. We shall crush them"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Harry and Allen sat side-by-side on a faded swing set as they tried to coax a cool breeze, swinging lazily back and forwards.

"I'd better make the most of the sunshine while I can" Allen said light-heartedly, tilting his pale face up to catch the sun

"Yeah, where was it you said you were heading?" Harry asked lazily

"A small town in greenland" Allen answered, nervously tugging his hood down as a crowd of children ran laughing past with their bedraggled parents following wearily behind

"They have been experiencing weird weather and the order believe its due to Innocence. The main reason though is that Kanda and Lavi- the two exorcists I have yet to meet- are on this mission. Dumbledore says its perfect, the weather will prevent them from calling in back up and will give me a good opportunity to talk to them uninterrupted. I need to try and build up some relation with them if I am to have their trust when I join the order later"

Harry frowned miserably at this. He still was not at all pleased with Allen's decision to join the order once he graduated. Unfortunately, Allen had pretty great arguments to back his decision up- the order were the only organisation out there actually attempting to stop the Earl and if Allen ever wished to stop him, he needed to join them but despite all the logical arguments for this decision, Harry couldn't help the irrational part of him that wanted Allen to stay. The sacrifices he was having to make simply because he was unlucky enough to be born with innocence just seemed unfair. He had decided- after spending a year vehemently refusing to even consider it- to send Mai away to a normal school and despite all he had told them about the underhand ways of the order, he had decided to join them. It just seemed so unfair the position that he had been put in. Harry just hoped that if he ever needed to make such a sacrificial decision for the greater good of the world, he would be able to do it with as much grace as Allen was

"We still haven't really decided how we are going to broach the whole 'wizard' thing yet though. Dumbledore is working on the ministry at the moment, trying to convince them that my story is true and to talk them into approaching the Order offering an alliance however they are as stubbornly blind as ever" he rolled his eyes in irritation and shrugged one shoulder uselessly

"Still, they can't deny it forever. Soon the Earls plan is going to come into play and we will not have the luxury of ignorance" He looked rather glum at that and Harry desperately cast around for a topic that would distract him from the current conversation. Simply because his mind had been playing on it so much recently, the first thing he came up with was the recurrent nightmares he had been having. He felt a bit stupid as he explained that he couldn't remember anything about them but there was just a nagging feeling in his gut that they were important. Allen, however took it seriously and fell quiet for a few minutes

"Well, there's nothing you can do to force yourself to remember the dream" He said eventually "You will just have to trust that if it truly is important then eventually you will remember it. Just keep your guard up right? Trust your gut- if something doesn't feel right trust your instincts and you know you always have your friends about to save your idiotic bakside if you do your usual and walk strait into trouble" He stuck his tongue out teasingly at his friend who moodily pulled a face in response. The rest of the day passed as nicely as it could have. Once Mai grew bored of the park, they found a little stream and cooled off in there, settling down for a pik-nik in a stony island in the middle of a wider section much to Mai's delight. The sun soon dried them off and once the it began to loose some of its intensity, they dared to emerge from the shade and return to the park. Harry and Allen returned to the swing set and were chatting away obliviously when a harsh voice came from behind them

"Who's this Harry? Your _boyfriend_?"

Allen and Harry both turned around to find Dudley and his crew of faithful followers standing in a semi-circle behind them

"I take it this one is that delightful cousin you have told me so much about" Allen said cooly, jerking his thumb toward Dudley. Harry nodded miserably and with something of a mischievous smirk, Allen tugged down his hood, revealing his snow- white hair and red scar

"Its a pleasure to meet you Dudley, my name is Allen Walker. I'm a classmate of your cousin" Harry chuckled internally as each of the boys eyes widened at Allen's strange appearance and they all uniformly took a step backwards

"What the * £ ( is wrong with your face?!" one of the boys yelped in shock. Allen's eyes widened innocently

"Why? Do I have something on it? I _did_ eat a custard donut for lunch..." He turned to Harry "Is there something there?" He asked in mock concern. The boys- it seemed- did not appreciate his humour

"Shut it freak! You two are just as deformed as each other" he spat

"What?!" Allen cried in indignation "I will have you know I far surpass Harry in my freakishness! Look at this hair! And my scar is three times as big as his- no offence Harry, but come on, that thing is a pitiful excuse for a scar" Harry sighed in resignation

"Its true, as hard as I try, I just fall short of your freak standard" Allen laughed lightly and petted his head condicendingly

"Just keep striving- I'm sure you'll get there one day"

The banter seemed to be confusing the thick-heads and they- unable to follow the conversation- returned it to a level they could understand

"Shut it you gaylords! Sitting side by side on the swings, what a cute couple you make" Snorting laughter echoed around the circle and Dudley finally gained the confidence to join in

"Didn't realise you swung that way Harry- always knew there was something wrong with you- not that any self-respecting girl would fall for you anyway. I guess this freak was as good as you could do" He slapped high fives with his friends and chortled triumphantly. Allen coolly raised one eye-brow, clearly un-impressed by this display

"What original and hurtful insults you all come up with- truly you have hurt me to the core. Come to think of it" he said thoughtfully to Harry " I've never really understood why gay is an insult, I mean its just a descriptive term- like either its true in which case its like saying 'shut up, you brunette' or its not true in which case, it really fails as an insult and just makes you look stupid" Dudleys lip curled angrily

"Did you just call me stupid you little shrimp?" He snarled, raising a fist however at that opportune moment, Mai trotted up the them, clearly frightened by what was going on. She tugged at Allen's sleeve

"Papa, whats happening?" Allen scooped her up and placed a kiss gently on her forehead

"Don't worry about it princess. These people here were just demonstrating to us the problem with todays society- incidentally, life lesson, ignorance may be bliss for you but all it does is hurt those around you. Plus it make you look like a fool" Dudley had frozen mid-swing and seemed unsure about what to do. Allen stood up and bowed slightly to them

"If you'll excuse me, I really need to get my daughter to bed" he bent down and gave Harry a one-armed hug "See you in school!" He turned and walked away however it seemed that Dudley's gang weren't about to let him off with humiliating them and one stooped to pick up a rock and flung it at the receding figure. Almost inhumanly, Allen lent to one side, and the rock soared past his ear and without even turning to acknowledge it he raised his hand to give a jaunty farewell wave

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Allen ran full pelt towards the stone bridge, his heart pounding in his chest. He twisted around, not slowing down at all. The train hadn't passed yet- thank goodness. He gripped his pocket ensuring that Timcampy was still there and swung his legs over the bridge, his suitcase clutched tight in his hand. There was a rush of wind and all of a sudden, the brown roof of the train was thundering beneath his feet. He silently sent a prayer up to heaven and threw himself off. For a gut wrenching moment the speed of the train almost threw him off however his boots eventually caught grip and halted his momentum. He was dimly aware of two other thumps on the train roof however he was too busy mentally checking that each limb was still attatched to his body to pay it much heed. After his heart realised he hadn't killed himself and began beating again, he slowly straitened up and turned to try and find an entrance into the carriage and that was when he spotted them. A red-haired boy with an eyepatch staring at him with undisguised shock and a tall dark-haired man looking as uninterested and disgruntled as it was possible to look. Allen sheepishly grinned and waved, slowly making his way over to the two

"I guess I'm not the only one who was running late, huh?" he said lightheartedly. The red-head laughed however a glint appeared in the dark-haired ones eyes and in one fluid movement, he drew his sword. Allen leapt back with a yelp as the crazy wannabe samurai took a sweep at his head. His companion seemed as shocked as Allen

"What are you doing Yuu?" he yelled as Kanda pushed his attack further, forcing Allen to retrete. He 'tsk'd' in irritation at the question

"Dont _call_ me that- and if you can't tell why you are more stupid than I thought. Look at him. Its that brat Lena lee lost in the last mission" Allen bristled at the name brat

"Hey- I'm not a brat you wannabe samurai!" Those two must be Lavi and Kanda then though he had guessed as much going on the description he had received from Lenalee in the rewinding town plus the fact they had survived hurling themselves at a moving train

"Even if it is, why are you attacking him?" Lavi protested, ignoring Allen's indignation. Kanda shrugged lightly and took another swipe at the small boy, who fell to the ground just in time to miss having a chunk taken out of his arm. He hurriedly flipped back to his feet and resigning himself to having to fight, he activated his innocence

"We have our orders to capture him. He managed to escape Lenalee before so I figure if we maim him a little, he'll be unable to escape" He said, his face completely emotionless, as if he was talking about nothing more important than what he would like for dinner. Lavi sighed

"We are on a mission Kanda- what do you expect us to do with an injured exorcist? Carry him around with us the whole time? Think this through!" Kanda it seemed though was unwilling to listen and charged at Allen again. This time however, Allen was ready for him. It was obvious that he was not going to stop the attack so there was no point in trying to talk him down. They struck a strange picture- Three figures on the roof of a train, their cloaks and coats billowing around them, the wind clawing at their hair and clothing as if it too wished to joint the battle. Allen and Kanda flew at each other- claw and sword clashing while Lavi stood a good few steps away, observing the battle in exasperation

"Yuu! Stop this!" He yelled again as mugen swung dangerously close to Allen's chest

"We can take him on the mission with us instead and take him to the order afterwards"

"What!" Spat both Kanda and Allen

"You're not taking me anywhere!" Allen yelled, over the turbulent wind, taking advantage of the distraction and upgraded his innocence to the gun shape, activating the glowing gold bade and locking swords with Kanda.

"How exactly are you planning on preventing him from escaping genius?" Kanda spat as the two wrestled back and forward. Lavi reached into his backpack and pulled out a black collar

"Its a new invention of the orders- trust me. It'll work. Keep him still"

Allen's eyes widened in fear but he was unable to escape, if he tried to unlock blades with Kanda, he would probably lose a leg. Lavi approached at the side of the locked pair

"Sorry about this!" He said cheerily before snapping the collar on around Allen's neck and slipping the leather bracelet it was connected to over his own wrist

"OK, let him go now Yuu" He said firmly. Kanda gritted his teeth but eventually he broke the glaring match between him and the shrimp and swung his blade around, almost clipping Lavi's fringe as he did so

"Don't _call_ me that Baka Usagi" He snarled before staking off the the trapdoor in the roof of the train and dropping into the carriage below. It had taken all of Allen's strength to hold off the phsyco man and his arm was trembling from exertion. He deactivated it and pushed himself up onto his feet again

"Thanks" He said with a small smile "I'm not sure how much longer I could have lasted against him! Plus I really didn't want to injure anyone- The order would send out a witch hunt if I did!" Lavi raised an eyebrow in surprise

"You're taking this awfully well" He said, jingling the chain that joined them. Allen smiled innocently

"Oh trust me, I have no intentions whatsoever of going to the order, however I was planning on helping you with this mission anyway so..." He shrugged lightly. Lavi smiled equally innocently in return

"You may find it harder to escape than you think. He smirked internally as he saw a flash of doubt enter the smaller boys eyes

"Let's go" He said, tugging gently on the collar as he walked toward the trapdoor

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Allen gazed wide-eyed around the lush carriage- the order sure travelled in style! Lavi sat down opposite Kanda who didn't even glance up from the pile of paper he was flicking through. A tik appeared above Allen's eye- Kanda's entire attitude just ticked him off! He had just tried to half-kill him with no provocation whatsoever and now he was just ignoring him entirely. He sat down with a huff of irritation next to Lavi, quietly grateful that he was attached to him rather than the phsyco samurai. Lavi sighed contentedly as he wriggled comfortably in the cushioned seats "This is so much better than the roof" He said teasingly, watching Kanda out of the corner of his eye for some reaction however he got nothing. He rolled his eye and grinned at Allen, who was looking somewhat dishevelled after his ordeal

"You get used to him after a while, he does have a heart in that hard chest of his... somewhere.."

Kanda tsk'd in annoyance and shot Lavi a glare over the top of his papers

"Quit your blathering or I will cut you" He hissed icily

Allen glanced at Lavi disbelievingly

"He does I swear! Deeeeep deeeeep down... Anyways Allen, I'm curious, how did you find out about this mission?" Allen's pocket squirmed at this and out burst Timcampy, he whirred excitedly around the compartment a few times before settling eventually in his usual perch on his masters head. Allen laughed lightly

"I guess that answers that question! I came across Tim a few years ago and he's been a faithful friend since"

Lavi cocked his head on one side

"Really? That's odd. Golem's have no emotions, their one and only purpose is to serve the order. I've never heard of one going rogue before" He leaned forward curiously to study the golden golem, however it seemed Tim did not appreciate the red-head sticking his face so close to his and he clamped his formidable teeth down on his nose. Lavi yelped in pain and fell backwards, the chain connecting him to Allen snapped taught and with a cry Allen flew through the air colliding heavily with Kanda's knee on his way to the floor causing the papers to fly out of his grip and explode over the compartment like oversized snowflakes. The door opened and one of the conductors walked through, curious about the noise. He froze in disbelief at the scene before him- The compartment was covered in sheets of white paper and a red headed boy was lying on the floor, connected by a chain to a white-haired boy who was sprawled across his chest, gripping tightly onto the arm of his furious dark-haired companion in a vain attempt to stop him from bringing the sword he had clutched in his hands down on the two of them

"Err... pardon the intrusion... I was just, err, checking to see if you needed refreshments however I see you are busy, I'll come back another time!" He stuttered but before he could leave the strange white haired one called him back

"No wait! I'd love some food!" His stomach growled loudly as if to emphasise the point and he chuckled sheepishly

After leaving the compartment, the conductor leaned wearily against the door. He had never heard someone order as much food as that skinny little kid did and as to why he was chained to the red-head he didn't think he even wanted to know. He would send one of the lower-down employees with the food, suff first-class service, he didn't want to go back into that compartment ever again!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"That's amazing!" Lavi gasped watching wide-eyed as Allen polished off the last plate of food and settled beck in his seat with a sigh of contentment. Kanda merely snorted and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'revolting' under his breath. Allen glared at him but said nothing of it

"Yeah, my appetite has always been pretty huge" He laughed, rubbing the back of his head shyly

"It must be because your innocence is parasitic type" Lavi said, gesturing to Allen's arm

"I haven't seen anything like it before- I've heard of parasitic type but as far as I know, none of our exorcists are parasitic. How did you get it?" Allen shrugged

"I was born with it I guess... Its been there as long as I remember but I never knew my parents so I couldn't exactly ask"

"Can I see?" Lavi asked curiously, reaching out for Allen's arm but Allen flinched away instinctively, raising his other arm to block Lavi, his grey eyes all of a sudden becoming more guarded. Kanda stopped passively watching the scenery flying past the train window to watch the drama unfolding before him with the slightest hint of curiosity. Allen held his guarded stance for a few minutes before relaxing slightly and nodding

"My apologies. Of course" He slipped his white glove off and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the disfigured arm. His eyes still guarded and cloudy, he held it out for inspection

"Sugoi!(1)" Lavi breathed, his eyes hungrily taking in every detail. He gently took Allen's hand in his and traced the outline of the innocence with his finger, moving slowly so as not to spook the young teen who looked ready to bolt at any sudden movement

"Revolting" Kanda sneered. Allen jumped at the venomous tone and slipped his hand out of Lavi's, pulling his glove on again and tugging the sleeve down. His usually pale cheeks flushed dark red and he seemed unwilling to raise his eyes from the floor

"Yuu!" Lavi yelled, surprised by the anger in his own voice "Take that back"

Kanda snorted disparagingly "Not a chance. You keep your distance from me, short-stack" Weak people irritated him more than anything else in the world. The tiny, weak kid's nervous nature touched a nerve with him and made him want to kill him himself before he had to go on a mission with the kid and end up endangering everyones life in a vain attempt to make up for his incompetence

"My name is Allen, Bakanda and if you think I would ever willingly spend time with someone as narrow minded as yourself, your wrong!" Allen spat, his eyes blazing with anger

"Woah" Lavi muttered, shrinking down at the dark energy that was emitting from both Allen and Kanda

"What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?" Kanda spat out between clenched teeth, his hand straying to Mugen again

"What, are you deaf as well as stupid? I called you Ba-kan-da" Allen repeated, drawing each syllable out pointedly. Lavi laughed at this new nick-name but his laughter died in his throat when Kanda turned his glare onto him. He shrunk down in his seat

"Now now, lets all just try and keep our cool ok?" He nervously piped up, waving his hands calmingly at the two. They both sank back down into their seats and folded their arms, glaring huffily in opposite directions. Lavi heaved a sigh of relief and celebrated internally- not only did he finally have the chance to meet and record information on the elusive 'Allen Walker' he also had found someone that had more success in drawing Kanda out of his stoic shell than even he did! This was going to be an amazing mission...

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Allen silently cheered when Lavi- who it turned out was impossible to shut up- finally stopped talking and fell asleep. He snuck a peek at Kanda but he too seemed out of it. Once he was sure that no one would see him, he began tugging that the collar around his neck. It seemed to have sealed seamlessly around his neck- he couldn't find any buckle or join in the black leather. He hooked one of his claws in under the leather and tried to saw his way through the material- If he worked on it on the inside of the collar ever night, they wouldn't notice and he's be able to just snap it on the last day and sneak out however, despite his best efforts, the material seemed to be impenetrable. Timcampy joined in his efforts and chewed at the band however he had just as little success. He let out a huff of irritation and slumped back in his seat, glowering at the sleeping boy beside him and if he didn't know better, he could have sworn he saw him smile smugly.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Allen yelped in pain as Lavi fell down in the snow, causing the chain that connected them to tighten and Allen to lose his balance. The two struggled to their feet again (Allen muttering under his breath about useless rabbits) and tried to catch up to Kanda's receding figure- he of course waited for no man. They had just come level with him again when Allen spotted two figures lying in the snow. He started to run over to them but once again, the chain round his neck snapped tight, halting him mid-run. He and Lavi helped the two travellers to their feet and offered to bring them to the nearby cabin but Kanda refused to be waylaid from his mission and carried on without them. Allen couldn't help but feel rather smug when it turned out that the two they rescued led to some vital information about the whereabouts of the innocence however, by the time they had uncovered this, it was too dark to consider going out again so they decided to stay the night. The women who owned the inn had initially been too busy with the two half-frozen travellers to pay much attention to the exorcists but now that they were taken care of, she could help but let her curiosity get the better of her

"And what about you two?" She asked. Both Allen and Lavi looked at her innocently as if to say 'what do you mean' so she decided to try a more direct approach

"Why are you looking for the leaves of revival? What on earth happened to you" she gestured to Allen "and why on earth are you chained together?" The two boys exchanged looks and laughed rather nervously

"Well... to tell you the truth, its a rather long story" Lavi said

"We're exorcists" Allen chimed in, lying smoothly "We know what is the cause of all this strange weather and we are on a mission to stop it. As for what happened to me, I was in a bad accident as a child I lost my parents and that was where I got my scar- the trauma caused my hair to go white. Lavi and I are chained together because Lavi here is my protector! In the Order, they truly value the lives of their younger members so with dangerous missions they send them out with a more experienced member. He is basically my bodyguard" He smiled sweetly at the old lady and Lavi could practically see her heart melting at his tale. He smirked inwardly at the way Allen dealt with the situation- who would have known that despite his innocent aura, Allen was actually a talented lier!

"You're younger than him?" The lady asked, looking rather surprised

"Oh yes" Allen chirped "I'm only 14 years old (2) It's my hair you see, makes me look older than I really am" Lavi started slightly at this piece of information- the kid really was much younger than he had expected- and to think that he had managed to hold his own against Kanda even if it was just for a short time. The old lady, utterly charmed by Allen's sweet act gave them both a room for free. She bustled in and out, stoking up the fire and handing them extra blankets before bidding them a good night and leaving. Allen stared despondently at the double bed in the middle of the room

"This is NOT how I expected my very first mission would go" He pouted, tugging at the collar around his neck. Lavi merely laughed at him

"Quit your whining. I'm exhausted" He dug through his suitcase and changed into his pyjama's completely ignoring his companions awkwardness and once Allen had changed too,they climbed into the bed, doing their utmost to stop the chain from getting tangled

"Night Moyashi" Lavi smirked, ignoring Allen's growl of irritation

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**(1) Japanese for Amazing!**

**(2) Yes, I realise I am screwing with the timeline but I need to! I didn't really realise how hard it was going to be to fit everything I want to into the proper timeline so I am messing with it. Deal.**

**Oh and if you remember, Allen skipped a year of school, hence the reason he is younger than Harry**

**Promise to update soon**

**ciao :D**

**P.S You're welcome Deaven ;) You're welcome!**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: OK, so I am sort of backtracking a little in this chapter- for those of you who have been with this story for a while, you'll remember that I didn't want Cross to feature in the story. That, as it turns out, was not a good move so... yeah... I don't know if I'll re-write bits of the other chapters. I think I managed to write him in in an OK way but just tell me if you think I need to alter anything kay? Also- I will at some stage edit the last chappy. Allen is 13 not 14. Got confused with the age english people start school :S**

**Also as a warning, I have been going waaay to slowly with this story so I think I'm going to try speeding things up in the upcoming chapters otherwise I will be writing this forever!**

**Sakurakoi- Welcome to this story! And thanks so much for all those reviews, they made me chuckle quite a bit :D**

**Scarlet- *meeeeeeep* OK... I updated!**

**TheReadingDevil- *Runs and hides under her bed shaking like a leaf***

**nooooooooooo anything but slenderman**

**I updated kay? Please don't kill me *sniff sniff***

"No. Freaking. Way" Allen stated firmly, glaring mistrustfully at the wooden ski's Lavi was waving cheerily in his face  
>"There is no way I am going to try skiing with a freaking chain attached to my neck- If either of us falls, it'll behead me!" He continued, backing away as Lavi advanced, still brandishing the death traps<br>'Aw, don't you trust me to keep you safe Moyashi?" He teased, his green eyes sparkling mischievously  
>"I'm afraid I don't really" Allen stated bluntly, crossing his arms stubbornly. Lavi pouted at this<br>"What!?" He wailed despondently, tears streaming dramatically from his eyes as he fell to his knees "so...cold..." He whined, holding a trembling hand out to Allen. Allen rolled his eyes exasperatedly, hauling the whimpering teen to his feet, trying to bite back the smile that was tugging at his lips  
>"There's no need to be so dramatic" He said, smiling lightly "I would just prefer to keep my head attached to my shoulders so I'm sorry, but I really don't feel safe traveling on that... contraption" he glanced at the ski's with the slightest hint of distain in his eyes. Lavi raised one eyebrow slightly<br>"You know for a kid, you sure do talk weird" He laughed, ruffling his companions hair "And there's no need to be quite so melodramatic- if either of us is in mortal danger, the collar automatically detaches and I promise if any Akuma happen to appear, I will release it. It would be a pain to transport a corpse back to the Order" He added teasingly "Even if it is just a teeny, bean-sprout-sized one" Allen glowered at him but said nothing, quietly storing away the information on the collar for later- so there was a way to sever the leather ring... Now all he needed to do was survive long enough to make use of the information. He looked nervously at the ski's again and sent a silent prayer up- he really couldn't delay it any more, they were just wasting precious daylight  
>"OK, I'll do it" He said rather reluctantly, ignoring Lavi's triumphant grin and stepping onto the wooden death traps, wrapping his arms tight around Lavi's waist<br>"I would really appreciate it if you tried not to make any sharp turns- my feet aren't strapped in and AAAAAAAARGH!" He tightened his hold and squeezed his eyes shut as Lavi launched them without warning down the steep hill, blasting a path through the snow, sending up sheets of ice up on either side of the pair as they hurtled at breakneck speed downwards. Lavi laughed manically at Allen's wail and just lent forward further, speeding them up even more. His plan was simple- wind Allen up as much as possible until that smooth mask of his cracked down the centre! He hadn't expected Allen to be quite so adapt at his poker face- it rivalled even Lavi's. He hadn't been able to sneak in behind his defences at all and every sly question was deflected masterfully. It was all very frustrating, usually the happy-go-lucky persona he put on made people relax and open up to him as they did not consider him a threat. It had never failed before- unless you counted Kanda- but for some reason this kid was evading his skills like a master however, he was a bookman and there was no way he was going to be defeated in an interrogation competition- he was chained to the kid for crying out loud! If he couldn't get information with an advantage like that the really, what sort of bookman would he be? He would just have to keep up this friendly, hyper act until the kid relaxed and once his defences were down, he would pounce! It wouldn't really be all that hard- he got on quite well with Allen anyway and he intrigued him which just made him more curious about his story. There was no way he was going to be defeated by a beansprout of a kid, that was for sure!  
>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0<br>Allen winced as he got up from their third fall of the day. He sighed long-sufferingly- it wasn't even lunch yet and he already felt as if he had been run over repeatedly by an obese elephant! He payed no heed as Lavi bounded his way over to where he had finally landed after being catapulted off the ski's and clipped his collar on again. He turned this way and that, trying to determine the direction of the warm wind- they had two options up ahead, one path led up a steep incline and the other carried on downwards into a thick forest. He frowned slightly, wavering before pointing to the steep path  
>"It's that way- I'm sure of it. The warm wind is stronger in this direction and it would make sense if you think about if for the innocence to have picked higher ground- more protection" Lavi nodded, strapping the ski's to his backpack and checking behind them for the young girl and her father who had been following them since they left off<br>"Sure thing, Moyashi- though I'm not entirely convinced you're not just choosing it so you don't have to go on the ski's again!" He teased, prodding the younger boy's cheek pointedly. Allen glowered slightly  
>"I'm going to be covered in bruises tomorrow" He moaned, rubbing his back<br>"It's not fair- I always go flying because I'm not strapped in and your just fine! In fact, I'm not entirely convinced you're not doing this on purpose" He accused as the two made their way up the incline- bickering as they went  
>"How could you suggest such a thing! I would never be so cruel" Lavi wailed, clinging to Allen's backpack despondently, forcing the younger boy to drag his entire weight up the path<br>"I'm heartbroken! I wont let go until you take that back!" he whined as Allen stubbornly marched his way up the hill, leaving a deep track as Lavi's heels dragged in the snow  
>"You would never be so cruel? You're half breaking my back baka usagi!" He yelled as he struggled onwards, sincerely wishing that it wasn't summer so he could take out his wand and turn Lavi into something unpleasant... After struggling a few meters through the snow and realising that Lavi was deadly serious Allen finally gave up<br>"Fine- you are a kind, thoughtful and considerate individual who never in their wildest dreams would even contemplate causing a fellow team member any form of physical or mental damage now will you PLEASE let go of me?" He yelled. Lavi snapped out of his despondent state remarkably quickly and bounded up along side Allen, grinning from ear to ear again  
>"Why thank you Allen, that was most kind of you to say" he chirped, seeming not to notice Allen rolling his eyes in exasperation. A strong gust of warm air blasted down the hill, tugging at their thick clothing in contempt. Allen raised one arm to block it and the two teens fought on through the slowly melting snow<br>"Well, we are definitely on the right path anyway" He said rather grimly, ducking out of the way of a sheet of ice that separated itself from one of the straggly trees stubbornly clinging to the mountain side and fell with a muffled thud to the thick snow carpet below  
>"It's interesting isn't it- how each piece of innocence defends itself in unique way and attaches itself to different types of hosts" Allen said rather thoughtfully. Lavi's eyes lightened at the subject that intrigued him so much<br>"Yeah, its fascinating" He enthused "Each piece has its own ability, and affinity- what is really fascinating is the host it choses. The Order have dedicated endless resources to figuring out what it is that makes accommodators 'resonate' with the innocence. I mean, exorcists are so diverse, there is no common denominator yet innocence is so specific- for example, although you are a host, you couldn't use Ōzuchi Kozuchi (1)- my innocence- or Mugen for that matter" He only just caught himself in time from carrying on this topic- the kid was good! "That is why your innocence is so intriguing, Allen" He carried on smoothly, trying to steer the conversation towards information gathering  
>"I have only ever seen one other parasitic type and it was acquired at a much more advanced stage than yours. I believe Crowly- the host- received it at the age of 20. He was given it by one of our generals- I don't suppose you recall who gave you yours?" Allen didn't answer for a while, pretending to be concentrating on his footing on the narrow path as he had an inner debate. He knew Lavi was fishing for information however the only thing he really wished to hide was that he was a wizard- a cursed wizard. He needed Lavi and the other exorcists to trust him and that meant giving as much information as possible but he still begrudged giving in to the unspoken interrogation competition that the two had entered. Still, he saw how irritated Lavi had been when he had gotten so animated on the topic of innocence so at the moment, Allen was sitting at 1 nill. He allowed himself a moment to bask in the glory before giving in and bringing them to an equal score<br>"As far as I'm aware, I've had mine from birth" He said, drawing up alongside Lavi so he didn't have to yell above the roaring wind  
>"Though that may not be true- I've had it as long as I remember but I was abandoned as a child so its not as if there is anyone I could ask to confirm it" He shrugged lightly and smiled "Sorry if I'm not much help- I know very little about my past. What about your innocence?" He asked, unable to restrain himself from trying to get one up again. Lavi looked up at him and they both smiled the exact same polite smile<br>"Oh, my story isn't all that exciting really- I came to the black order with my mentor- bookman- to record the battle and then found that I resonated with one of the pieces of innocence that Hevlaska had. The old panda resonated too actually. I don't think I have ever seen Lvierre so excited"  
>2-1 Allen thought triumphantly however, Lavi wasn't about to let him off so easily<br>"Have you ever heard the name Marion Cross? He is the general I was talking about that gave Crowley his innocence fragment and somehow managed to make him a parasitic type" He fixed his piercing gaze on Allen, his smile still relaxed and friendly but the gleam in his eye betraying him  
>"The name doesn't ring a bell- sorry" Allen said truthfully. To be fair, he had never stayed in the same place for any length of time (apart from Hogwarts) he had always been on the move and had never really stayed long enough anywhere to make proper connections with people so it was very possible that he had met this 'Marion Cross' and just didn't remember. Lavi however wasn't quite ready to drop it yet<br>"He was really quite distinctive- you would definitely have remembered meeting someone like him. He had waist length red hair and he always wears a half-mask over the right side of his face. He has a habit of building up debts as well. You really couldn't have missed him"  
>Allen shook his head and shrugged before it hit him. Trying very hard to disguise the flash of realisation in his eyes (2-2), he started throwing out other bits of information in the hopes of distracting Lavi<br>"I don't remember really, but I might have- I spent my childhood travelling around in circuses and the like. They tend to be populated by the eccentric types and compulsive gambling is almost a requirement. I've been able to gamble for as long as I can remember so even if I had ever met him, I wouldn't remember" He continued to babble out meaningless stories from his circus life, well aware that his sudden talkativeness was likely to raise alarms but he was in a bit of a blind spin... his mind was flying off to all sorts of crazy things. The man Lavi had described fitted the description of that weird holligram-y teacher thing he had stumbled across... but there was no way that was a real person. Was there? And if so who was he? Why was he in Hogwarts? And what did he have to do with his innocence?  
>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0<br>As the day proceeded, the warm wind cooled back to its natural temperature of just below freezing however the damage was already done. The path was insanely slippery as the top layer of snow was a now a mixture of ice, slush and water which seeped its way through every layer of the boys thick clothes, chilling them to the bone, effectively stopping all conversation as the most they could manage was changing the speed of their chattering teeth. It was beginning to get late as well which wasn't helping matters. The sun was low in the sky and was blindingly bright. It was Allen's turn to take the lead and he struggled through the freeing slush, clearing a path for Lavi who was following, his hand on Allen's shoulder and his head bent against the sharp wind. He squinted his eye against the blazing white snow beneath his feet but it had little effect and he was effectively walking blind. The unnaturally warm wind had done more than make the path unpleasant to travel on- it had also made it less stable as much of what held the mountain together was ice and it had a tendency to become rather temperamental when it lost this structural support as Lavi was about to find out. It didn't take much- the path had been considering collapsing for the majority of the day, sending little clumps of earth and snow down periodically to test the ground beneath. After some consideration, it decided to commit to the move- the valley was oh-so-nice this time of year and it really deserved a holiday in the sun. Unfortunately for Lavi, it was at this stage he stepped on to this section of the path. He barely had time to think "Oh bugger" before the ground beneath him was... well... no longer beneath him and he found himself in the unpleasant situation of free falling from a not-insubstantial mountain. Allen spun around as he felt the ground shift and he just barely had time to grab hold of Lavi's hand before he disappeared over the edge of the cliff. The combined weight of Lavi and his backpack threw Allen off balance and he too would have been thrown off the cliff if he hadn't activated his innocence and dug his claws firmly into the snowy ground, anchoring the two of them to the cliffside- Lavi swinging off the edge and Allen starfished on the remnants of the path, one arm holding onto Lavi and the other wedged into the thick ice. There was a stunned silence as the two slowly realised that a)They weren't dead and b)They were currently swinging like a novelty pendulum over a seemingly endless drop to the valley far, far beneath their dangling feet. Lavi's heart spasmed as he stared down at the drop beneath him. His brain flew at a dizzying speed as his bookman training went into a frantic panic, unhelpfully calculating the statistical chances of his survival, the approximate drop he would face and the length of time he would have to contemplate his fate as he hurtled inexorably towards the unforgiving ground. It then pointed out to him that the black object swinging lazily along with him was in fact only the link he had to the person who literally had his life in his hands and that- well- it wasn't exactly linking them anymore. True to Komui's design, the collar had quite happily detached itself from the young boys neck, after deciding that plummeting off a thousand odd foot drop counted as 'mortal danger'. After logging this piece of information, Lavi's bookman side cheerfully informed him that his statistical survival rate was plummeting almost as quickly as he soon would be. He frantically began searching for some foot or hand hold in the cliff face before him, sending the two boys swinging like crazy again  
>'Stop it Lavi!" Allen yelled as his shoulder screamed in protest<br>"Listen to me: Everything is going to be OK" He tightened his grip on Lavi's hand and a really horrible bit of his mind quietly announced '3-2'  
>"I've got you. It's going to be alright. Just listen to me ok? Ignore everything else- now stop moving" His firm, gentle tone calmed Lavi's racing heart somewhat and he stopped squirming. There was nothing to hold onto anyway, the cliff face was smooth after the miniature landslide. There was no point in taking Allen with him too. The old panda was going to be really annoyed at him: dying after all that training to be a bookman. He would be livid!<br>"Lavi!" Allen yelled again, snapping him out of his reviver "You need to unstrap your backpack- you're too heavy for me to pull up with that on" It took a couple minutes for Lavi to register that Allen was serious and he was actually not going to just let go and then another couple of minutes to pluck up the courage to actually move again. It took another five minutes for his numb, trembling fingers to actually unclip the straps, sending the backpack hurtling downwards to the shadowy valley beneath. Lavi grabbed hold of Allen with both hands with a vice like grip as the momentum sent them swinging again. Allen's shoulder creaked in protest and thin thread-like cracks spread across the ice his claws were sunk into.  
>"Lavi- listen to me" Allen gasped, his voice slightly less calm " I'm going to lower myself down so I can help you up, then you can pull me up OK? I'm not strong enough to pull you up like this" He wriggled his way as slowly as he could to the edge of the path and lowered himself down, trying to ignore his brain as it unhelpfully informed him that he was being very, very foolish. Lavi swung up and caught hold of Allen's shoulders and for a few moments as he tried to calm himself down enough to make the next move, the two swung in an awkward embrace. After his heart had settled into what only the most generous person would call a rhythm, he heaved himself up so he had on knee on Allen's shoulder and he was holding onto the arm that was buried deep into the mountain face.<br>"Hurry up' Allen gasped as the ice grumbled ominously and the cracks deepened. He grabbed a handful of Lavi's jacket and shoved him up onto the ledge. Lavi rolled off on to the path and- still unconvinced that he had actually survived falling off the face of a cliff- he lent over and pulled Allen up. Allen crumpled to the ground, deactivating his innocence and clinging onto his shoulder, moaning in pain. Neither of the two said anything for quite some time and the only sound was their heavy breathing and the odd whimper of relief.  
>"Thanks" Lavi said eventually, still staring in mmild disbelief at the collar which was still hanging from his wrist. Allen shrugged<br>"You'd have done the same for me" Lavi was slightly shocked at the certainty with which he spoke- would he have done the same thing? His training said no- after all the risk was high and the chance of a rescue attempt being successful were slim. The logical thing to do in that situation would be to let the other party member die rather than risk a rescue attempt and kill both of them. However... he mentally shook himself. No, he would have left Allen if the situations had been switched. No question about it. He looked down at the empty collar again and tried to figure out the most polite way to go about getting the person who just saved his life to chain himself up again. Allen however seemed to have figured out what was going through Lavi's head and dragged himself across to where Lavi lay and wordlessly picked up the collar and re-attached it. Silence fell for another few minutes  
>"Thanks" Lavi muttered again. The two lay in the snow as the sun sunk further and further down in the sky. Every now and again, one would try to get up but their legs seemed unwilling to obey their commands and each attempt was unsuccessful. Eventually, Elda and her father caught up with the two boys. Elda immediately ran to their side and helped them to their feet and worriedly checking over them for any injuries, thanking the heavens that they were both fine. Her father however seemed almost disappointed that they had survived the experience and glowered at the people he believed were attempting to steal his only means of reviving his dead son for their own benefit.<br>"Amatures" He spat angrily "You shouldn't be up on these mountains- you are a danger to yourselves and others" He glowered at the two boys, as if hoping they would turn around and leave him to continue his search alone. Lavi noticed anger flash momentarily through Allen's eyes but as soon as he noticed it, it was gone(3-2 and 1/2. Even Lavi had to bitterly reconise that seeing a flash of anger through Allen's mask didn't quite amount to as many points as seeing blind panic through his as he narrowly missed a painful death) Allen smiled politely  
>"I'm sorry, we do not know these mountains as well as an experienced mountaineer would however we cannot turn back. We have a mission to complete-much like you do- and we do not abandon things half way through. Now, we should probably try to find some shelter. Its getting late" Lavi and Allen walked side by side, supporting each other- their legs still unwilling to support their own weight. Barely a word was said all night and Elda filled the silence with nervous chatter. Lavi and Allen were still shell-shocked from their close shave and Elda's father was unwilling to speak at all to the boys. Thankfully it was Elda who was cooking and she had no problem sharing her supplies with the two boys whose own supplies were now a few thousand feet below them. The exhausted travellers settled down for the night however, despite his exhaustion, Lavi just couldn't get to sleep. Each time he reached the gently-drifting-off-to-sleep stage his brain yelled 'AAARRRGHH WE ARE ABOUT TO DIE!' terrifying him back into consciousness to find that a)He wasn't dying and b) He was exhausted. After the third unpleasant awakening Lavi let out a groan of irritation and stood up, his sleep deprived brain cleverly suggesting that a walk would perhaps clear his head. Unfortunately, it had forgotten that he was still attached to Allen and this resulted in the young teen being unpleasantly woken as the leather collar half-strangled him<br>"Lavi!" He gasped "what the heck are you doing"  
>"Ah, sorry" Lavi apologised, sitting down beside his disgruntled companion. Allen massaged his bruised windpipe and glared half-heartedly at his friend<br>"Why aren't you asleep? Its..." he glanced at his wrist watch "two in the morning" He groaned "go to sleep you idiot" Lavi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head  
>"huh, didn't realise it was that late- I was about to go for a walk- just forgot that we were still attatched. Sorry' Allen gave him a rather assessing look<br>"Can't sleep?" he said. Lavi shrugged one sholder half-heartetdly  
>"I guess my adrenaline levels are still pretty high after that incident" He laughed. Allen sighed and held out his hand<br>"Your brain probably still thinks its in free-fall. This'll help. Trust me" Lavi looked rather dubiously at the outstretched was a bookman for crying out loud! Master of cool, reasoning logic! A trick as simple as that was hardly going to have any effect. Allen glared at him  
>"I want to get to sleep without fear of being strangled so take my hand, shut up and go to sleep baka usagi!" He snapped- it was the most impolite speech he had made to Lavi and the red-head was slightly taken aback- he gave in and did as Allen said. Exhaustion crashed down on him like a tonne of boulders and he just has time to feel slightly irritated that the kid had been right before he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.(4-2 and 12)  
>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0<br>Nothing was said about the exchange the next day and there seemed to be an unspoken agreement never to mention it again (though Allen decided that he was not above using it for blackmail material should the need ever arise). The steep incline levelled off then dipped slightly, sending the group into a thick green forest. The tree's were huddled together as if they were trying to preserve what little heat there was and finding a path between the thick trunks and twisting roots was not easy. Allen peered ahead and blinked rather disbelievingly but no- he wasn't imagining it- someone was moving up ahead. For a moment he thought it might be Kanda but then a group of three strangers emerged. They called ahead with some story of being lost travellers but as they approached, Allen felt a growing sense of foreboding then all of a sudden his eye activated  
>"Akuma!" He yelled, activating his innocence and glancing back to Lavi who nodded, touching the collar and releasing it from Allen's neck. The three akuma, realising their cover was blown, burst out of their skins and rose up into the air<br>"Three level two's" Allen called over to Lavi "Can't sense any more" He silently thanked his lucky stars that his eye healed in time for this and threw himself into the battle. The level two's though were perfectly designed for a fight in the snow and a barrage of ice-bullets sent him flying backwards. He crashed to the ground painfully but immediately flipped to his feet and charged again, his innocence becoming the gun-like shape again, allowing him to hit the akuma without getting too close. He managed to land a good few blows before the Akuma he was targeting changed tactics and turned its gun's on Elda and her father. Allen barely had enough time to throw himself in front of the ice bullets before they hit the two  
>"What are you doing" He yelled "Get out of here!" another round of ice bullets flew towards him and he flinched as they pounded into his upraised arm.<br>"We're not letting you out of our site" Snarled the old man "You know where the leaves of revival are and you are going to lead us to them" Allen opened his mouth to make and angry retort but had to change position as the Akuma tried to get past him. He let out a yell of pain as more bullets thudded into his body. There was no way he could evade them without Elda and her father being hit  
>"Lavi!" He yelled "A little help over here!" But Lavi too was struggling against his opponents and couldn't get near him. Allen returned fire, changing tactics so his shots hit the bullets before they reached him however, the damage was already done. He was chilled to the bone and each time a bullet managed to sneak through his defences, the blackness encroached on his vision a little further. He yelled for Lavi again, even though he knew there was probably nothing he could do to help. Just before he completely lost consciousness, he caught a glimpse of Kanda joining the battle- his ever present scowl an unusually welcome sight. Allen's numbed brain just had enough time to register relief before it succumbed to the injuries he had accumulated and he passed out<br>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
>Allen's head hurt. A lot. He slowly opened one eye then shut it immediately as the blazing white snow sent a bolt of pain through his throbbing brain. Once the pain had died down, he tried again and opened his eyes to find himself traveling by piggyback with Lavi as a means of transport. He registered with some relief that Elda and her father were still in one piece and with less relief that the leather collar was once again firmly attached around his neck.<br>"Hey Allen" Lavi chirped "You're awake!" Allen smiled in return and fell rather clumsily off his back onto the ground (4-3 and 1/2). Kanda muttered something under his breath and gave the two a disparaging look but they just ignored him. They reached a small wooden cabin where they had a heated debate about what they were going to do. Lavi wanted to leave Allen with Elda and her father in the cabin while he and Kanda went on to look for the innocence, Kanda didn't want the baka usagi within a fifty foot radius of him and didn't trust Allen alone so he wanted to go take care of the innocence himself. Allen protested that he was perfectly healthy and he should go with Lavi and Kanda. Elda's father refused to listen to reason, still believing that the cause of the storm was the leaves of revival and that the exorcists were just trying to steal it. Elda maintained that where her father went, she went too. After arguing non-stop for a good quarter of an hour, Kanda stormed out of the cottage yelling threats to anyone who dared follow, Lavi followed quickly in his footsteps with Allen in tow and both Elda and her father chased after them. Eventually, they came to the source of the powerful wind. It seemed to be coming from the mouth of a dark cave however the wind was too strong for any of them to get close to it. Lavi activated his wood stamp and momentarily halted the wind, allowing the group enough time to pile inside. The cave eventually opened up into a huge cavern, at the centre of which stood a huge tree, its leaves glowing green in the darkness. Kanda, who was the first to reach the cavern approached the tree but as soon as he laid a hand on it, there was a flash of light and he was catapulted through the air back to where Lavi and Allen were standing. Elda's father however wasn't dissuaded and charged at the tree, a feverish light in his eyes. He however met the same fate as Kanda and smacked agains the stone wall at the back of the cave. Elda ran to his side and Kanda, a distinctly sour look of his face, activated his sword. He did not take kindly to being thrown around. Especially not by a tree! Ignoring the cries of Elda's father, he swung his sword and with one blow, sliced the tree through its trunk, revealing the shard of innocence. He stooped to pick it up and, turned to leave. Elda's father ran up "Give that to e" he yelled desperately "I need to revive my son"  
>Kanda glared at him contemptuously "give it up. This will not bring your son back" he made to walk on but the old man wouldn't give up that easily. He grabbed hold of Kanda's arm to try and wrestle the innocence from him. Kada snapped and raised his hand to hit him but before his blow landed, Allen caught him by the wrist<br>"A little compassion if you please" He said, with a rather forced smile. Kanda scowled and wrenched his hand from Allen "Don't touch me with that cursed limb Moyashi" He snarled, turning on his heel and striding to the opposite end of the cavern, glowering at Allen as he tried to talk some sense into the grieving father  
>"I'm afraid BaKanda is right" Allen said sorrowfully "This tree was not the leaves of revival, it was just a shard of innocence trapped inside a regular tree. The wind was a defence mechanism because so many people tried to pluck the leaves from its branches. Nothing can truly bring the dead back. You need to concentrate now on what you have, instead of what you have lost" He helped him to his feet and the group slowly made their way out of the cave. They had hardly got more than a few feet from the mouth of the cave when the Akuma attacked again. This time however it seemed as if they would be victorious- It was an Akuma to an exorcist and Elda had the sense to drag her father away from the fight. Allen charged at his Akuma, ducking underneath the slashing claws and sweeping his gun around, sending a barrage of bullets towards its bloated body. The Akuma dodged out of the way but didn't manage to avoid all the bullets. Allen charged again, wondering momentarily what the chances were of him being able to run away if he defeated the Akuma quickly enough. He knew Lavi and Kanda could handle themselves, so if he just finished his part of the fight then... At that moment however, a furious yell came from behind him. He spun around to see that Elda's father had broken free and was now holding Kanda in a wrestling hold yelling nonsensically about the leaves of revival. Allen turned with the half-thought of finishing off his Akuma then helping BaKanda before he was killed however when he turned, he found his Akuma was also screaming. The Akuma Lavi was attacking also started screaming and all of a sudden they were absorbed into the middle Akuma. It turned its attack on Kanda, shooting ice at him and freezing his legs and feet to the ground. Lavi (who was closest) charged at the akuma but he met the same fate. Allen had more advantage than the other two as he was behind the Akuma when it attacked. Taking full advantage of his position, he ran as close as he could before discharging the most powerful attack he could. He switched weapons as he got closer and locked claws with the new akuma, exchanging blows at a dizzying speed. The akuma slashed upwards and Allen was forced to leap backwards out of reach of the claws.<br>"Allen" Lavi yelled, straining against the ice that encased his legs "Shoot at the ice and free us!"(5-3 and 1/2) Allen obeyed, shooting at Lavi and Kanda freeing them. The Akuma took advantage of his momentary distraction and slashed its razor sharp claws at his exposed back. Allen caught the motion out the corner of his eye and twisted out of the way but he wasn't quite quick enough and the black razors tore a line from his shoulder to waist. Lavi and Kanda converged on the Akuma, their attacks landing at exactly the same time and Allen saw the three soul's chains snap and he smiled slightly as they disappeared off into the sky.  
>"Allen!" Lavi yelled, running across the snow with a worried look on his face (5 and 12-3 and 1/2) 'I wonder what he is so worked up about' Allen thought hazily. They had won hadn't they, why did he look so horrified. He glanced down. Surely snow hadn't always been that red. He distinctly remembered it being white before but he suddenly remembered- he was in Greenland. Things always worked differently in different countries. Maybe they had red snow in Greenland... but no, shouldn't it be green? Why... Lavi reached him and wrapped his arms around his waist, lifting him up.  
>'Hmm' Allen thought dimly 'that feels weird' Now Lavi's hands were red too... foreign countries confused him...<br>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
>Everything hurt. Turns out that the smartest thing to do after being beaten to a pulp by your enemy is not to chase after it so it can slice you up too. Plus now that freaking collar was around his neck again. Bugger. Lavi sure was determined to bring him back to the order- he had kept the collar on even though Allen had been unconscious for a full day. Turns out severe blood loss will do that to a person. Who would have known? They had returned to the first cottage they had been at. The inn keeper had been very hospitatble after seeing the state of Allen and though she subitted Lavi to an hour long lecture about his failure as a bodyguard, she allowed them discounted board even though Allen had literally eaten her out of house and home. She had needed to send off for emergency supplies. Three times. Allen slipped in and out of a comfortable doze, sleeping off the huge meals he had eaten. He woke up periodically and peeked between his lashed at Lavi who was fighting off sleep next to him until eventually he succomed to his heavy eyelids. Allen waited until he was completely certain that he was unconscious before gingerly sitting up and placing both hands on the collar. He was pretty sure he knew what to do now- it became relatively simple after he found out that there was an automated way to separate the leather band. Although this was a great safety measure it gave him an opening. All he had to do was send a small spark of magic through the collar and trip the mechanism. It should only take the smallest amount of magic so he was praying the ministry wouldn't notice. It used no more magic than creating multicoloured sparks from your wand when you got overexcited and they tended not to chase up small cases like that so he should be fine... He touched the tip of his wand to the collar and breathed a sigh of relief as the ring split, freeing him. He quietly slid out of the bed and, holding his arm across his chest to avoid straining his cracked ribs he crept to the door. Before he left though a very, very mean thought came into his head. What was the harm in leaving a little parting gift for them to remember him by? After all, both of them had been pretty mean to him. A few minutes later, Allen exited the cottage chuckling under his breath and making his way slowly down the hill to the train station where he boarded the train via the doors instead of roof<br>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
>Lavi woke up to Kanda strangling him<br>"whafhthehfe dja thkn ytr diong" He spluttered  
>"You utter imbocile" Kanda snarled, dragging Lavi up by the scruff of his neck and shaking him like a cat worrying a mouse in the direction of his empty bed<br>"You let the little brat get away and look what he has done!" Lavi's sleep befuddled brain took a few seconds longer than it should have to realise why Kanda was pointing furiously at his neck.  
>The collar.<br>Oh  
>Oh dear<br>This was going to end very badly indeed  
>He glanced up and saw a piece of paper pinned to the wall<br>'Final score : 5 and 1/2 to 4 and 1/2. I win :P  
>PS. Have fun with that Baka Usagi and BaKanda!<br>Pay back is a £ $% ^^'  
>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0<br>Allen arrived at Hogwarts late and very disgruntled. He hadn't been able to take a broom with him and the Hogwarts Express was of course no longer running- the term had started literally on the day he finally escaped from that stupid hyperactive bunny and the samurai with anger issues. He had contemplated sending Timcampy on ahead to get Dumbledore to send some form of transport but he felt that would be kind of mean and besides, Tim was unwilling to leave his master alone considering his injuries. All in all, it took him five days to finally get to Hogwarts and he found out that in his absence all hell had broken loose. Voldemorts followers had made a brazen appearance at an international quidditch game, Harry of course had somehow managed to get in the middle of it all though had been once again, saved by a house elf and Hogwarts was now hosting the next biggest event: The Triwizard Tournament. Genius plan. Though to be fair, the death eaters would need to be pretty stupid to attack Hogwarts however, considering all the stuff that had happened in the school over the past few years, Allen began to doubt that its title as the 'safest place in the world' was really justified. He reported back to Dubledore about everything that had happened on his mission  
>"It was really weird though, Lavi mentioned something about one of the orders generals. It might be nothing, but the person he described sounded an awful lot like this holligram-y trainer person I've been training with in the room of requirement. Plus Lavi was saying that he had a tendency to build up really terrible debts and almost every new town I went to when I was travelling had some debt collector or other after my blood. They all yelled something about some red-headed man building up debts and telling them that I would pay for them" He shuddered and purple flames began to emanate from his body<br>"All those debts..."  
>He didn't speak for some time but after the trauma in his eyes faded slightly, he continued.<br>"I didn't really know what to make of it at the time but it would appear then that this man has been following my progress all this time. The order don't know about me though so it obviously wasn't on their orders"  
>Dumbledore steepled his fingers and frowned slightly.<br>"So one of the generals from the Order knows about you and has been keeping an eye on you this whole time? I wonder why he never turned you over to them" He trailed off, his blue eyes blazing into Allen. There was a long silence.  
>"So where did this hologram come from in the room of requirement" He asked eventually. Allen shrugged<br>"It always came on by itself. I never really noticed where it was coming from"  
>Dumbledore fell silent for a few minutes, then walked over to Allen and lifted Timcampy off his head. Allen watched him in confusion<br>"So" Dumbledore addressed Tim "Are you going to show yourself... Marion Cross?"

Dun

Dun

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!

:3

**(1) The actual name of Lavi's innocence :D**

**Also I just couldn't resist the urge to cliffhanger this :D I don't normally but people wanted updates and it'll take a while to write the whole Cross/Dumbledore interaction so yeah XD**


	39. Chapter 39

**OK, So now Cross is part of the story, Kay? And him and Dubley-dore are best buds XD Just roll with it...**

**Poisonous Demon: Now THAT would have been a hilarious twist! Mind you a Cross/Timpampy is kind of terifying to think about... perhaps not**

**MidoriHakari00: Err, sorry to disapoint but no, Allen is not going to be part of the Triwizard Tournament, however he may appear at some stage... hintey hint! Haha, I could totally throw in a dragon befriending scene though if you want :D**

**libro5678: Thank you so much! I will definitely finish this story however, the speed with which I shall finish it is yet to be seen. You may have noticed the severe increase in time lapse between my story chapters :P It will be finished though so do not fear! I have recieved too many death threats to stop now :S (seriously, I have even be threatened by slender man yes, I'm looking at you TheReadingDevil!)**

**NirvanaFrk97: Well, like I have said before, pairings are NOT the concentration of this story- besides which, I think all the characters are so screwed up by he battle that any normal relationship is just going to be impossible for them so I may hint at pairings or throw a little fluff at people here and there but I don't think I will have any definite pairings. Though definitely won't be pairing lena/allen unfortunately, I'm going to have their relationship be much more sibling-y**

**Cana999: Yeah, see above! I wish I could put ALL THE PAIRINGS in tbh, I love Yullen as a pairing, my fangirl engines kinda go into overdrive :3 Don't worry, Allen would never leave Mai so if he goes to the order, she will too!**

**ennuel: Will everyone please stop threatning me :'( I'm gonna start getting paranoid! Still, at least you didn't threaten me with slender man or a flamethrower (Still looking at you TheReadingDevil**

**coronadomontes:Well, if you think about it, he ****_did_**** promise to look after Allen and he knows about the 14th so there is no way he would just let him go without any observation. **

There was a long awkward silence as Dumbledore and Allen both watched Timcampy; Dumbledore calmly surveying the squirming creature over his steepled fingers and Allen sneaking suspicious glances at the old man out the corner of his eyes wondering vaguely if this was some sort of test or if the old codger had been at the fire whiskey…

After about fifteen minutes of the tense silence, Dumbledore drew his wand

"You have two choices" he said mildly "Either you come out or..."

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence because at that, a tall man dressed in an ankle length black coat appeared. Allen's eyes widened slightly- so the figure he believed to be a hologram produced by the room of requirement was in fact a real person- a general of the order none the less- and yet, the order was still unaware of his existence. This was going to be interesting

"Tch" Cross spat "I do not take kindly to threats, old man"

Dumbledore shrugged lightly "To be perfectly frank, I couldn't care less. Now, if it isn't too much bother, I would greatly appreciate it if you would inform Allen and I about your role in this battle that we are fighting and whether or not we should fear you"

Cross quirked an eyebrow at this and Dumbledore inclined his head almost apologetically

"Let me rephrase that; should we fear you more than our enemies… and the order" he added as an afterthought. The Cross hologram smirked slightly at this

"The order and I are not exactly bosom buddies- They are far too self righteous and short sighted. Not willing to take the right risks and too eager to take the wrong ones. Unfortunately, the choice in this battle at the moment is them or the Noah and the Order is a means to an end- however unsavoury they may be. Despite this however, I am working on my own project here and Allen is part of that so no, I am no threat to you or him. As of now, keeping our two worlds separate is the best course of action. Unnecessary complications are the last thing that we need"

Allen breathed a sigh of relief- so he wasn't being secretly watched by the order and even though this guy was a general, he didn't want to turn him in. Not yet at least, though Allen couldn't help but notice how vague Cross was being- he was part of a plan? Why was he so important? And why was it so important that he was kept away from the order? Allen was glad though that this man who knew so much about him wasn't utterly loyal to the order. He appeared to be powerful. Plus he was a General so he was high up in the chain of things, despite his hangups with the way the Order ran things. Allen wondered if he was the reason he had gone unnoticed by the order for so long- when he thought over everything he had managed to extract from Lavi it sort of made sense. Every town Allen had gone to, he had been hunted down by some loan shark or other forced to work hard to repay debts he had never build up. He twitched slightly as he remembered all the jobs and long hours and hard labour he had endured. Still, he wasn't completely stupid- the jobs he had got had provided him with security in strange towns. So this man had been following him for years protecting him in his own strange way from both the Order and the humans. He did not strike Allen as a guy who would go out of his way to help anyone unless he could absolutely help it so there was something else going on. He glanced over to Dumbledore, silver and blue eyes silently communicating across the room. Dumbledore inclined his head ever so slightly

"Would you mind telling us, Cross Marion why you are communicating through Allen's golem?" Dumbledore asked, his voice light and friendly. Allen did a slight double take. That was not the question he had expected Dumbledore to ask and besides that, he hadn't noticed up until that point that the hologram was issuing from Tim's mouth

"Tim!" He cried in surprise. The golem was practically sweat dropping but it didn't move

"Ah well" Cross began rather awkwardly "That would be because Tim is my golem. I sent him to look after Allen. I knew his adoptive father and I promised to look after Allen if anything should happen to him however I wasn't able to completely fulfil my promise. I did my best to protect him though- sent Tim after him when I found that he was missing. Took us a while to track you down" He said cooly looking over to Allen who was staring in complete shock at the man who moments ago had been a complete stranger

"By the time Tim found you, you were managing well enough on your own and I had a number of rather delicate schemes running that I really couldn't abandon to baby sit some kid so I left Tim with you and made sure you were ok but I didn't see any real need to interfere any further though after seeing how behind you are in your fighting I am beginning to think I might have made a mistake" he muttered rather bitterly. Allen scowled irritated at how lightly the man was talking about him- as if his life was an inconvenience- something that could be dabbled in whenever he felt like it but he bit his tongue. He needed to know more. Losing his temper would get him nowhere and change nothing.

Dumbledore studied Cross Marion curiously for a moment

"Allen, would you mind leaving us for a moment. I need to talk to General Cross alone. You really should go see your friends. They have been worried about you and I'm sure you all have a lot of catching up to do. Don't worry, I'll fill you in on any details later" He smiled lightly. Allen didn't move for a while, he curled one hand into a fist and clenched his teeth but Dumbledore stared him down. He turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the room, his entire body trembling with anger. He had always been aware that Dumbledore was working on a greater plan behind the scenes but he had almost fooled himself into believing that the head teacher trusted him. He spent his days working on schoolwork, his breaks training and his nights tackling evil killer machines and yet he was still not to be trusted with information about his own future. He barely restrained himself from slamming the door as he walked out of the tower and wondered if he could convince Tim to tell him what went on in the tower when he came back

* * *

><p>Fawkes stretched his wings out, shaking his feathers in the weak sunlight that strained through the dirty windows. His master had been talking with this strange sent less man the whole night long and neither seemed likely to finish any time soon. The two men had been unwillingly sharing information about their respective battles. Neither wanting to say anything but each needing information from the other. Conversation therefore had proceeded slowly but little by little, they each filled the other in on the complexities and rules that each of their worlds abided by.<p>

"So we may conclude that magic is more or less ineffective against akuma- therefore the risk of introducing both our sides to each other is really not worth it" Dumbledore summed up, popping a strawberry bon bon into his mouth

"But now onto more personal matters- what is your interest in Allen. There is more to this than a promise you made to a friend. Tell me, why is he so important"

Cross heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair

"It's more than a little complicated. I actually don't really know what to think any more. I thought I knew what he was and what to do but things have turned out differently than I imagined. Let me tell you the tale of Allen, Mana and Neah"

* * *

><p>Allen sat with his sleeping daughter until she awoke. It was far too early to go and see his friends, all of which would be sleeping still and besides he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to them in his current state of mind. He knew that if he talked to them, he would need to go back over everything that had happened that night and he was not in the mood for it. Instead, he watched his daughter sleep, the slow rising and falling of her chest and once she woke, he played tea-parties with her until it was time for her to be taken to her new school. Dobby- who had been charged with cleaning that floor- ran to fetch him a strong coffee and a platter stacked high with sugary buns to see him through the day. He felt a little guilty as he made his way to potions but time had sort of ran away with him. His friends would be annoyed with him for not seeing them first but at least this way, they wouldn't be able to cross examine properly until lunch. He swayed slightly as he made his way down to the dungeons: He hadn't slept in… what would it be now… his exhausted brain struggled with the simple calculation for much longer than it should have. He had flown straight from the cabin they had stopped at in Greenland so it was something like 72 hours since he had last slept properly. At that realisation, he promptly walked into a wall. His sleep deprived brain as it turned out was incapable of dealing both with mental maths and coordination. He rebounded slightly and blinked confusedly at the solid brick wall before realising what happened and after checking to see if anyone saw, he turned down the corridor, got half way down, realised he was going the wrong way and doubled back on himself. He arrived at the dungeons just as the last student disappeared through the door. He half flung himself across the corridor and caught the door just before it slammed shut. He breathed a sigh of relief and slipped in. He was halfway to his desk when a cold voice echoed out across the dungeon<p>

"Ah, Mr Walker. I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence. Apparently its not enough for you to turn up days later than every other student in the school, but you also feel the need to turn up late to class as well. Pray tell me, what exactly is it about you that makes you exempt from all the rules that bind your classmates? Do you think that you are untouchable because the headmaster adopted you? Do you think yourself more important than the rest of us commoners?" Allen shook his head silently trying to look as apologetic and not-big-headed as possible. It wasn't especially effective. Harry, Ron and Hermione waved energetically behind Snape's back as he ranted and their excited faces made him feel somewhat better. At least someone was pleased to see him. Once Snape eventually ran out of insults, he sent Allen over to his desk and with a flick of his wand, made the instructions for the potion they were brewing that day to appear on the board. The four teens ground their star aniseed in utter silence till Snape was distracted by Dean who made some mistake or other in his potion

"So, how did things go?" Harry breathed, eyes bright with anticipation. Hermione glanced nervously over her shoulder and busied herself about her potion- her thick curls falling down and obscuring her face but Allen could tell she was listening just as intently as Ron who was grinding his spices into a fine dust. He filled his friends in on his summer, the whole situation all of a sudden seeming a lot more comical and a lot less stressful as he said it out loud. Ron sniggered at him

"You allowed yourself to be chained up by someone as stupid as this Lavi guy!" He scoffed. Allen glowered at him

"I didn't really have a choice and Lavi is many things but stupid is not one of them"

Hermione lifted her head slightly and gave him a rather strange look before returning to her potion and blanking him completely. Through the rest of the day, they filled him in on the occurrences at Hogwarts- all about the Quidditch match, Triwizard Tournament and the many schools that would soon be descending on their beloved castle. Allen couldn't help but wonder why this was happening now; it made little sense that the ministry would re-instate such a dangerous competition after so long, especially since it was being held at the school of their precious 'chosen one' though to be fair, Harry wasn't old enough to participate and after the fiasco with Sirius Black, the ministry probably felt it had something to prove to the wizarding community though when you considered the spectacular failure of the quidditch tournament, you had to wonder why they didn't just accept defeat and admit to everyone that their leadership and organisational skills were more or less non existent. Though- to be fair- that probably wouldn't be very good for their public image… Still, if this huge big event went off without a hitch, he would eat Timcampy! Eventually the end of the day came and Allen only just had enough energy left to drag his weary body up to the Gryffindor common room, which was even more homey and comfortably warm than Allen remembered it being. He collapsed into one of the armchairs which practically hugged him in its cushiony comfort. He let out a groan of relief and burrowed down even further into its embrace letting the chatter of his friends wash over him. He shut his eyes for a moment and didn't open them again until Hermione gently shook him awake the next morning

* * *

><p>Though the day, Cross and Dumbledore had been filling each other in on the nuances of their respective battles. It was slow going because neither wanted to give too much away without equal knowledge from the other but eventually they were both caught up. After ranting at each other about the incompitancies of those in charge, they went on to discuss their plans and strategies with each other. Though neither would have admitted it, they found this meeting incredibly beneficial- it got awfully lonely, being the only genius in a group of idiots and every genius loves his work being appreciated but when your audience has its head too far up its own backside to even begin to comprehend the brilliance of your intelligence it really wasn't worth the effort.<p>

"Now, as for this whole Allen-Order fiasco, I think I may have an idea. It won't be as neat a fix as I would perhaps like, but under the circumstances, it is the best we can do. You'll need to do something for me to help it work though"

Dumbledore smirked ever so slightly

"Was that you requesting my help?" He asked- an undertone of humour in his voice. Cross glared at him

"Only to clear up the mess you created! Now listen up...

* * *

><p>In the order, Komui sleepily watched as his subordinates dug through the swathes of papers that were drowning his desk. A short and rather abrupt message had arrived via golem from a general who had heard from a friend who had heard from a drunken acquaintance who had overheard from his... female companion that Cross Marion had sent a very important document to the black order<p>

"FOUND IT!" Reever yelled in triumph from underneath one of the mini mountains. All that was visible was the fist clutching a rumpled envelope. Komui snatched it from his had and left him to find his own way out of the death trap he had got himself into

"Greetings and all that

I have recently taken on an apprentice called Allen

He may turn up every now and again to give a hand

That is all

Cross"

Komui blinked a few times.

"Right then, we probably should remove the 'dead or alive' clause we currently have on the boy" He said mildly

Lavi who was present- as he always was when something interesting was going down- left as silently as he had arrived

So the young boy was Cross's apprentice. Or was he? He certainly hadn't mentioned it and when Lavi had asked him about Cross, although there had been a flicker of recognition in his eyes, it wasn't until he had mentioned the appearance of the General and even then, it had been faint. Surely not the reaction that you would expect from an apprentice. It was possible that Allen had just been more adept at the poker face than Lavi had initially thought but why would he even have wanted to hide his apprenticeship with Cross? It would have made life much easier for him if he had just mentioned it and the Order wouldn't have been trying to hunt him down. Though Cross had always been a law into himself and tended to dislike the Order knowing his business. It was possible then he reasoned but improbably. And if it was untrue, why was the General covering for the young boy? Regardless of whether the boy was actually Cross's apprentice sent to help the order, the one solid conclusion that could be drawn from this situation was that the boy was special in some way- he must be for a lazy layabout like Cross to take so much notice of him.

* * *

><p>Allen clenched his fists in an attempt to control his shaking- not quite sure himself if it was fear or anger that was making the tremors run through his entire body. He watched as his professor forced his students one after another perform tasks that they did not wish to do. One wave of his wand and their faces went blank. All their inhibitions disappeared. They had no control over their movement, their actions, their words. They became puppets; marionettes and they couldn't stop themselves. Allen shivered. How could his classmates look so calm. Why weren't they even slightly concerned. Each seemed to approach this like it was just a game- a competition- 'see if I can be made to something more stupid than my friend'. Allen tightened his grip on his wand unconsciously as Mad Eye Moody turned to him. The teacher's playful smile flickered slightly and then came back, more feral than before<p>

"Ah, finally someone with fight in their eyes. Let's see what you can do Mr. Walker" He drawled almost playfully before flicking his wand at lightning speed

"IMPERIO"

There was a loud crack. Allen felt something of enormous power surge inside his chest and as it grew, his sight blackened momentarily and then it was gone as soon as it had come. Moody was sprawled over a tangle of chairs and desks at the opposite side of the room and the entire classroom was staring at him. Allen glanced down at his wand- unsure as to what had just happened. His wand however was still hanging by his side. He looked back up at Mad Eye who had disentangled himself and was limping (more heavily than before) towards Allen, his expression unreadable. Allen instinctively raised his wand to chest hight and backed up slightly but Mad Eye just gave him a slightly upraising look before announcing to the class

"See, there is proof that with a strong enough will you can overcome even the most powerful spells. I wouldn't advise anyone to try to control this boy anytime soon. Not if they value their life" He laughed at his little joke- his laugh sounding more ominous than anything else that had come out of his mouth all day- and that was saying something

"Ronald Weasly- you are next"

…

"How either of you fought it is beyond me" Ron grumbled as he skipped down the corridor (he had not done well against the imperio curse at all- in fact, he seemed to have somehow worsened the effect of it so that even after Moody removed it, he still skipped everywhere he went. Hermione found this more than a little amusing)

"I barely fought it" Harry muttered "Face planted into a desk remember? Allen however managed to throw MAD EYE MOODY half way across the freaking classroom. Watch your back man, that teacher is phsyco! A genius but psycho!" Allen groaned and hung his head

"I know- I didn't mean to do it! It just sort of… happened"

"Wish it had happened to me" Ron whined "My legs are getting tired" Hermione snorted with laughter and continued to rib Ron as they walked back to the common room. Allen tuned their conversation out, still shaken up by that spell and what he accidentally did to his teacher. Had he known that this was one of the last amicable moments he was going to have with his friends for a while and the answer to why he had managed to defeater Moody's spell he perhaps would have spent less time dwelling on his lesson and more time simple enjoying the company of those dear to him while he could. But he did not know and therefore dwell he did

* * *

><p>There was a loud crash as the owlry door was slammed. Allen's jerked in shock and almost fell off the balcony he was sitting on. The book he had been reading fell from his hand and he just had time to catch it with an elevating charm before it disappeared. He spun around, his mouth open in shock but before he could yell Harry stormed over completely ignoring the fact that he had very nearly killed his friend. And his book. Lets not forget the book<p>

"Ron is a complete imbecile" He exploded "I had nothing to do with putting my name in that goblet! Nothing! He is acting so childishly" He sat down opposite Allen with an irritated huff. There was a short pause then "Oh come on!" Harry shouted "Your supposed to say something- explain it or fix it or something" Allen put his head on one side

"Oh for goodness sake just say something! I'm being stuck in a mental competition that I am not ready for, fighting against students more skilled than I am and my best friend isn't talking to me! Please, explain this to me" His green eyes fixed on Allen's, pleading and desperate. Allen opened his mouth to reply

"I mean I know that he is probably sick of all the attention I get but so am I! I didn't ask for this" Harry continued

"ah" Allen began

"Does he think I enjoy having people hero worship me for something I had no actual control over? I mean my parents were murdered by a sadistic psychopath and I survived on a fluke but for some reason this makes me worthy of praise? It's ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as this competition I mean who makes a game for school kids like this! And why is it a binding contract? I mean what if I got Ill? Or mortally wounded? Urgh the wizarding community is SO backwards sometimes" he ran his fingers through his already messy hair increasing the puff to a ridiculous level

"Do you…"Allen interjected in the short silence

"I just don't get why he won't just help me… I know he always feels like a sidekick or something but I don't think of him that way at all, that is a role he has put on himself- he is my best mate. I need him! I need him to calm me down and help me relax and take my mind of the fact that it is very probable that I will come out of this with fewer limbs than when I entered. He doesn't have to be happy for me- he just needs to support me" Harry exploded

"Have you…" Allen began

"This is ridiculous" Harry muttered "I don't need him. He can go do what ever he feels like. Maybe he can go find some other psyco wizard and ask politely if they wouldn't mind cursing a scar onto his face to last as an everlasting reminder of what happened to him then he can see it every time he looks in the mirror- be unable to hide who his is and what has happened to him- have everyone who meets him automatically know the most private and painful moment of his life and make a public spectacle of it- then maybe he will be happy" He spat the words out as if they were bitter pills. Allen gave up trying to talk and just let his friend rant on, striding up and down the balcony, robes billowing out behind him in the wind. When he eventually shut up, Allen sat down beside him and put a comforting arm around his shoulder. After an appropriate amount of silence he said

"You'll get through this- you are tougher than you think. Also you don't really have a choice" He then got up and left, clutching his precious book possessively to his chest and leaving a rather dumbstruck Harry behind him

* * *

><p>Lena-lee and Lavi sat beside each other in absolute silence broken only by the train station tannoy. Five minutes then ten passed. Lavi flicked open the pocket watch he had an a chain around his neck<p>

"He'll come" Lena-lee said with absolute certainty, ignoring Lavi and scanning the milling crowns of people for the white-haired boy. Lavi didn't reply. The meeting had been set up by the order- Cross had left the communication number for Timcampy scrawled on the back of his letter and through this, Komui had set up the meeting with Allen on command from the higher up's. Said elevated people were currently staking out the area. Some hiding around the perimeter and some surreptitiously walking up and down the platform trying (and failing) to look as nonchalant as possible. Lavi and Lena-lee were the only official pair of exorcists at the meeting. Something about setting Allen at ease by having him meet people he had previously had contact with. They briefly considered sending Kanda too however even the order quickly realised that that was most definitely not a good idea. It didn't help either that the finder who suggested the idea to Kanda was currently cowering in a dark corner somewhere in the Order muttering about the 'demon possessed samurai'

"Aha… sorry I kept you waiting~" A slightly stressed out voice sang from behind them. Lavi and Lenalee turned to see Allen standing on the platform behind them, a small Chinese girl by his side

"Mai needed the toilet and I got lost. Twice. I'm here now though! Shall we?" He swept his hand towards the exit, flashing them a quick smile.

He knows Lavi thought suddenly, not sure exactly what it was in the smile or the gesture that told him this, all he knew was that Allen was completely aware that he had about fifty eyes all trained on him at that moment in time and that the Order was more than willing to take him down if he should so much as sneeze unexpectedly. He wondered briefly if that was why he brought his daughter with him- to build up trust with the Order. Bringing her was a validation of his previous story to Lenalee- that he had a daughter and had avoided joining the order so that he could look after her. Perhaps he was also naive enough to think that the sight of a little girl would make the exorcists less willing to attack. Whatever his reasons, it certainly seemed to have been a good move. Lenalee already had the little child cradled in her arms and was chattering animatedly to her, smiles wreathing their faces. Even Lavi was feeling a slight tug at his heartstrings at the innocence and unadultered joy the little girl brought with her. He noticed that Allen was much more relaxed now his child was with him. His smiles seemed more genuine and his posture less military. He led the other two to a small diner (Lavi smirked internally at this- it was a smart move. The building was too small for more than a few members of the order to enter unnoticed and it was in front of a relatively busy shopping street so any people lurking about would be easy to spot. Lavi flicked his eyes over to Allen's and glanced away almost immediately, a small smirk playing in his lips.

"So…" Allen started nervously as the waitress stumbled off, looking slightly shell shocked by the order she had just received

"What do you want to know?"

The order had provided the two young exorcists with a list as long as their arm full of questions they wanted answered. Lavi and Lenalee however came to the unanimous decision that they were not going to go through them all. They had to ask the most important ones however or they would never hear the end of it

"Well, for starters" Lenalee began "Where is General Cross?"

Allen grimaced slightly

"You are probably not going to believe me… but I don't know. My master has been missing for some time. Master didn't want the Order to know where he was so he left me here about a year ago and figured that if they knew I was in the country and that I was his apprentice, they wouldn't notice that he was AWOL. Not that his plan worked awfully well since Komui didn't bother to open the letter anyways" He laughed at that "I love it when my masters scheming falls apart: Serves him right." He lightly placed his hands over Mai's ears before continuing "The prick"

Lenalee looked rather shocked at his venomous tone

"Trust me" Allen said grimly " That is the most polite description he has received of himself for a long time"

"Do you really expect us to believe that he just left the only apprentice he has ever taken on and hasn't bothered to check up on you or anything? You must have at least some idea of where he is"

Allen look slightly amused at this "I think you have the wrong impression of my master. He didn't take me on because he cares for me or anything, he took me on because he was curious about me and he wanted to screw with the order so after he had learnt as much as he wanted to know about my innocence, my only purpose was to act as his own little power play over them. That's why he had me help you guys out but not join you. He's childish like that"

The questioning went on for some time but Allen had a watertight story and even Lavi struggled to poke holes in it. That wasn't to say that he believed a single word that came out of the boys mouth, he just moved him up slightly in his estimation: The kid was possibly the best lier he had ever met. Eventually though they had to admit defeat, after which there was a mad skirmish as all the onlooking finders and exorcists tried to jump the kid and force him to come back to the order with them. It was a fiasco (to put it lightly). Allen and Mai seemed to disappear instantaneously as they converged on him and all they succeeded in doing was giving each other some bruises and black eyes to remember the day by.

Allen continued to show up wherever he was needed though over the next few months. How he knew where and when he was needed none had really figured out yet but he did. There was even a rumour wondering about (very softly whispered) that he had helped Kanda out on one mission. Not that the formidable exorcist had been in over his head- for everyone knew that was just impossible- however, he had returned from a mission in worse shape than he had been seen before and he muttered something about "That damn moyashi" before disappearing into his room. They of course still tried to bring him back to the order each time he turned up but soon their efforts became less energetic and soon they were barely trying at all. They even began to spend time with him out-with the missions. Lenalee in particular seemed to really get on with both him and Mai who she seemed to have half-adopted. Lavi too spent some time with Allen however when they were alone together things generally degraded into some twisted mind game or battle of wits which wasn't really what most people would consider 'quality time together' but each to their own…

Allen greatly appreciated this development, there was a lot less sneaking around and stressing out that he would be caught. He was still fighting akuma in the way he had wished and as he spent more and more time with the exorcists, he began to realise he wasn't as alone as he had previously thought. Each of them had gone through similar things to him and they understood more about his life than his friends at Hogwarts- not that they had not gone through their own share of perils. It was just a slightly different situation. Besides, with they way things were at the moment, his friends weren't really in the most talkative mood. He ended up spending most of his free time either trawling through the library for some spell that could conceivably take on a dragon or helping Harry practice his spells so going on a mission was a bit of a welcome break

* * *

><p>The air in the club was thick and smoky- music throbbing so loudly that the entire dance floor was shaking to its rhythm. Lavi sighed internally as he contemplated the writhing mass of bodies with some disgust. Typical that he would get stuck with this mission of all missions. Disappearances at a club had piqued the orders interest and as Lavi was still recovering from a few difficult missions, they decided to send him on this easy one as something of a break It was as close as the order came to giving holidays. He knew as well that they were planning on sending him and Lenalee on the search for General Cross which would most definitely not be an easy mission. Kanda was also set to depart on a search for General Tiedol. He had not really appreciated this order and even Lavi had been avoiding him recently after he pushed him a bit too hard one day and lost half his fringe to mugen. He supposed he really should appreciate the easy missions while they lasted but to be honest, it was far more likely that the disappearances were just down to humans being humans. Lavi took a deep breath of the fresh air and steeled himself for entering the suffocating atmosphere. Just as he was about to enter, he heard a voice nearby call<p>

"Hey Lavi! Wait up!" A hand caught his elbow and he turned to find Allen standing beside him, breathing heavily- he obviously had ran a fair bit to catch up with him

"What are you doing here?" Lavi asked bluntly, cooly observing Allen's attempt at dressing like a cluber. It was pitiful to say the least- he was wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark jeans with trainers

"Oh, I just thought you might need a hand thats all" He laughed

"What on earth do you think your wearing by the way? You look like your going to a fancy diner, not a night club"

Allen frowned, looking rather confused

"But I'm dressed really casually! I thought I had overdone it. I'm not wearing a tie, I don't have my top button done, I'm even wearing jeans and trainers!" He looked uncomprehendingly up at Lavi who couldn't help but laugh at the teen's 18th century mind

"Suits are never club outfits, no matter how casual. Never mind, there's enough people here that I don't think they will notice too much. At least it'll make it easier for me to find you when you get lost (He very deliberately emphasised his use of the word when instead of if- He had yet to go on a mission with the bean sprout where he didn't manage to get lost)

Allen stuck his tongue out childishly at Lavi and grabbed his wrist, dragging him into the club without any warning. Lavi let out a yelp of surprise before he could help it and Allen's triumphant laughter was audible even over the booming bass of the nightclub.

Lights flickered and spun, disorientating the boys- the dancers appeared to be moving frame-by-frame and the bright lights half-blinded them. Lavi smirked and lent close to Allen so he could yell into his ear- the only way you could conceivably be heard over the noise-

"I guess this explains why people come to pubs when they want to get layed- its so blinding you can't tell what your going home with and its so loud they could be the dumbest person out there and none could tell" He felt slightly triumphant at the blush that spread all over Allen's face and the boy wrinkled his nose

"Don't be so crude Lavi!" He whined. "Look, we need to try and work the dance floor- I'll be able to detect any Akuma but there is just so many people it might be a bit difficult to cover the whole room" Lavi winked. Or blinked. It was rather hard to tell

" Let me teach ya a little something about clubs boy-o you don't work the dance floor, the dance floor works you. You gotta go with the flow! Now excuse me, I see a couple of cute drunk girls. May as well make the most of this waste of a mission ciao!" With this, he disappeared off in the vague direction of a group of girls, jerking his body to the rhythm and somehow managing to slip through the people booking his way. Allen stood frozen to the spot for a few minutes

'Boy-o" He whispered to himself incredulously before shaking his head and trying to figure out how Lavi had managed to penetrate the solid wall of dancers.

Lavi made his way towards the busy bar, a self satisfied grin plastered across his face, he was getting on very, very well with the group of uni students who thought his eye patch was 'sexy' He grabbed a few bottles of Wick'd **(A/N I believe this is an alcoholic beverage which uni students consume in clubs. It is very probable that I am wrong. I don't know that I really care)** before starting on his way back but before he could return, Allen caught him by the arm once again. The kid looked significantly more rumpled than he had before though this did make him look a bit more club-appropriate. His shirt had even been torn at the shoulder Lavi raised an eyebrow at this but Allen just shook his head, his expression slightly haunted

"Clubers are vicious people" He shuddered but then his expression became more serious "I found the Akuma, Lavi, its a level two. Still in human form though, I think its picking its prey and it'll lure them out and kill them elsewhere. This is too public" Lavi looked forlornly over to where the girls were waiting for him

"Don't suppose there's any chance you can just handle this yourself?" He asked hopefully. Allen scowled disapprovingly

"Go make your excuses. I'll start this" He dug through his pocket and pulled out a cross rose badge which he pined to the front of his shirt "This should act as bait" Lavi looked at the badge wide-eyed

"Oh don't look at me like that" Allen snapped "As if you've never lifted anything in your life. Kanda was really annoying me- acting so self riches even after I helped him fight of that crazy swordsman. He deserved to have something stolen for him! Besides, I knew it'd come in useful" Lavi just stared in shock at the white haired boy "You" he said eventually with a slightly awed air "are my new hero. Good luck with you'r akuma" He cried before disappearing off into the crowd with Allen yelling "OUR Akuma!" after him. He let out a growl of irritation and turned back to face the dance floor again, shivering slightly in anticipation. He decided that he really did not like clubs one little bit. Why people would pay to come to a place like this was beyond him.

Lavi eventually disentangled himself from the group of girls with profuse apologies and empty promises. He glanced down at the numbers now scrawled across his hand and vaguely hoped that the fighting wouldn't wipe them off. He burst through the fire exit doors and gratefully filled his lungs with the clean cold air searching around for Allen- it didn't take too long to locate the boy- he was standing on the rooftop of one of the buildings, the almost destroyed body of a level two on the ground beneath him however Allen wasn't looking anywhere near the Akuma, he was instead staring off into the night sky. Curious, Lavi followed the young teens gaze. The Akuma exploded with a ear-splitting bang but Lavi didn't glance down. In fact he barely noticed. The cold air seemed to freeze within his lungs and his mouth dried up. He dropped his hand down to the strap holding bis hammer but even as he did so he had this overwhelming feeling of futility. They were _so_ screwed


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N**

**MidoriHikari00: Ending is explained and dragons are befriended. Aside from a teeny tiny murder attempt. But it wasn't really meant to kill... more like a dragons version of a hug. Or so I figure**

**yaoiprincess101: Bwahaha yes I truelly am the evilist of authors! I didn't cliff hanger this one though. I can be nice. Sometimes. :P**

**Cana99: I looooooooove Crowned Clown :D PS, I am totally making him sentient. Just for the lols. Yeah, the wizard thing is going to be some fun once the order find out!**

**NirvanaFrk97: I don't really know why I like it so much- I mean I know that in canon it will never happen... I think it is just because Kanda and Allen are my two favorite characters so I like stories where they get together? I do think Kanda cares more for Allen than he lets on though. I mean, Allen sacraficed so much for him and I think after he did that, Kanda started to view him as less of an irritation and more as a friend but I do agree with you, canonically, yullen is not likely to happen :/**

**coronadomontes: Why thank you :D**

**Sonnenfrost: Yeah, Cross's form of protection is certainly different from most peoples... And I think I'm more or less going to make the order deny wizards existence... at least for a good long while. A clash between the two worlds would just be too impossible to write plus the way I see it, both worlds have their own problems and aren't exactly renound for helping out others in need unless it benefits them so I think they will leave each other alone until there is literally no other option. **

**kiki: Meep! Sowee! No cliffhanger at the end of this I promise please don't kill me *cowers* Oh and just to point out, Harry did plenty magic before the snake thing, growing his hair, jumping up onto the school roof and shrinking one of Dudley's uglier jumpers. It doesn't actually tell you which was first so I just picked a random one :P**

**midnightheula: Aww, thanks :) I will try to keep the updates consistant but this story I should warn you is turning out to be pretty much a novel. I did not intend it to be this long... still, its fun to write :D**

**ennuel: What is with all the death threats! Sorry! No more cliff hangers then i guess... O.O Hope you enjoy this chapter :P**

**Will of the Abyss: Haha, you're welcome! Here is another instalment**

**Lalalal: Seriously! No freaking way! You're friend is epic! Send me the link or something and I'll put it in (as long as she doesn't mind me using the pic) I just found it on google (when I am bored, I search for cool pictures of anime's I love... don't ask. I just do :P)**

**A shout-out to everybody. If there are any particular scenes you really want to see, just tell me and I'll happily write them in if I can- MidoriHikari00 asked for a dragon befriending moment which was somthing I hadn't thought of but loved, so I've witen it in. Hope y'all enjoy!**

Allen stood stock still, completely frozen in shock as his childhood nightmare hovered in the sky above him. The same manic grin stretched impossibly across his warped face, his appearance treaded the thin line between comical and terrifying masterfully."Good afternoon, boy. It is nice to finally meet you. You made quite the impression on my little Road" He leered closer and Allen raised his arm defensively, backing away slightly. Lavi snapped into action and used Hiban to join Allen

"Ooh" sang the Earl "Who is this now?"

"We are exorcists" Allen spat, his vocal chords all of a sudden un-freezing

"And we are here to destroy you and your cursed Akuma" He knew there was no way they were going to survive this, but if they were going to die, they were going to go out with a bang. The Earl chuckled derisively

"You don't even understand what you are saying, little boy. You think I am the enemy? I don't force people to make Akuma, I offer them a deal and it is up to them whether or not they accept it. Humans are your true enemy, willing to sacrifice anything for their own happiness, yet you stinking exorcists insist on protecting them. This world is broken and I am just trying to fix it" His voice grew harder as his speech went on, his sing-song tone changing to a harsh shout. He seemed to catch himself though and his tone became silky again

"But I don't need to tell you this do I? Yes, I remember you now… it was Mana wasn't it? You asked for your darling dead daddy back and yet when I so kindly conceded, you pulverised my painstakingly made Akuma. I should have killed you then boy"

"Akuma are lamentable creatures" Allen replied, his voice sad but resolute

"I see their souls and their pain. They should never be part of this world and that is why I exorcise them"

Lavi lurked in the background behind Allen, silently triumphant despite the precarious position he was in. It was always the same for bookmen, the best place to record the most important parts of history was on the front lines. He was actually getting a dialogue from the Earl! He was slightly shocked that the Earl was taking such interest in Allen but that just confirmed his suspicions that there was more to Allen than he let on. Bookman was going to be so pleased. Maybe he would even forgive him for pranking him with chill flakes in his porridge…

"You can see the Akuma's soul?" The Earl asked in a scornful tone

"You're going to save them? You impudent child. You are all nothing but pieces of my game. The tragic end of this world is already set in stone. The curtain shall raise, and so it shall begin"

One of the Akuma hovering intimidatingly by the Earl lent toward him and hissed in his ear

"Master! Mistress Road says she needs you're help. Something to do with the Arc…" The earl scowled internally. He had been looking forward to crushing these puny ants. It had been too long since human blood had stained his hands but the arc was more important than these children. They would die in the end anyway

"You cannot save this world no matter how hard you try" He spat down at the boys "Never!"

He turned to the Akuma that had relayed Road message "Bring all you're friends and have some fun" He ordered before stepping through the door Road opened for him and disappearing

Allen and Lavi looked about uncertainly, not entirely sure of where the Earl had disappeared to. They didn't have too long to worry about it though because the sky began to darken with innumerable Akuma, their bulbous bodies blocking out what little light the moon and stars had been giving out. Eyes wide, the two boys stubbled backwards till they were in the middle of the roof, back to back, cycling around as the Akuma gathered

"Well, I guess this is what happens when you rile the Millennium Earl" Lavi said blithely.

"Yeah… sorry about that" Allen replied, equally casually "He just rubs me up the wrong way I guess. Do you wanna take that half and I'll take this?"

"Yeah, why not" Lavi grinned, whirling his hammer around his head

"Fire stamp: Hellfire and ash!" He yelled at the same time Allen yelled "Cross Grave!" The both flung themselves at the oncoming tirade of Akuma with reckless abandon. The wave of Akuma seemed never ending and after their first charge, they boys ended up fighting back-to-back, desperately covering each other. Allen switched to his gun after slicing through the closest line of Akuma and tried to use the long distance weapon to hold them at bay while Lavi caught any that got through his barrage of bullets with Hiban. A long stream of level ones pored in from Allen's right and he was forced to leave Lavi uncovered as he frantically shot them down. He spun back to try to cover Lavi again but a level two had already broken through and was grappling with him, its claws locked onto his hammer. As Lavi struggled with the Akuma, a few level ones took advantage of the opportunity to shoot while he was unable to defend himself. Allen had no time to counter the attack but instead, he flung himself in front of his friend, taking the bullets and countering immediately with his own and he felt momentary triumph as they exploded before the level two backhanded him, sending him flying across the rooftop. He crashed painfully onto the tiles and scrambled to his feet in time to see Lavi take advantage of the opening and clobber the Akuma with a powerful hit. It flew 30, 40 metres into the air before exploding. They barely had enough time to grin triumphantly at each other before Allen yelled

"Three level two's!" Lavi ran back to join Allen

"Ok" He said, his tone ever so slightly nervous "Whats the plan here?"

Allen slashed through another line of level ones and tried to bully his exhausted brain into coming up with a plan

"HIT THEM UNTIL THEY DIE!" He roared charging forward. He flung himself to the ground as the Akuma spat out what looked like webbing. Hitting the ground hard, he rolled under the Akuma's spidery legs and sliced deeply through its underbelly. Flipping back to his feet, he yelled

"What are you waiting for!?" Transforming his weapon into a gun, he ran around the Akuma, firing steadily as he tried to avoid the webbing which he noticed- to his great annoyance- was dissolving the tiles it touched. Lavi laughed aloud, swinging his hammer around again

"Now that is a plan I can get behind!" He chuckled, and charged at the second level two, clipping Allen's Level two as he passed, distracting it sufficiently and allowing Allen to get another vital hit in, deep enough to sever a couple legs. The Akuma let out an ungodly shriek and vindictively launched himself at Allen, the weight of its body pinning him to the ground. The air was forcibly driven out of Allen's lungs and he lay, partially paralysed as his lungs struggled to re-inflate. His eyes widened as the Akuma drove its pincers down, aimed at Allen's innate body. He desperately tried to roll out of the way but his body seemed unwilling to obey his commands. The Akuma's pincers tore through Allen's shirt and sheared through his arm. On the plus side, the pain seemed to kick start his lungs and, taking a huge gasp of air, he stumbled away, clutching his injured arm. Scarlet blood soaked through his shirt and pooled around his feet. Trying to fight his lightheadedness, he swung his gun around and forced his innocence to the limit, letting out another barrage of bullets. Blinking away the black spots that were now dancing around his eyes, he glanced quickly over at Lavi. Once sure that Lavi was sufficiently distracted, what with the two Akuma that were now grappling with him, Allen pulled his wand out, his numb, blood covered finger struggling to hold it. Wincing, he touched the wand to his injured arm. Bandages shot out of the wand tip, tightly binding it. His blood quickly soaked through the layers but the pain deadened significantly and the high pitched ringing noise in his head quietened slightly. He took one last swipe at the Akuma before stumbling over to Lavi, not even pausing long enough to see it explode behind him. Lavi flashed Allen a grin as he joined him

"This is fun huh?" He gasped between laboured breaths

Allen nodded in agreement, trying not to think about his burning ribs or throbbing arm and instead concentrate on dodging hits from what appeared to be cleavers attached to the arms of one of the Akuma

"I'll take cleavers-for-hands and you can take mr-shape-shifter kay?"

"Hey, no fair" Lavi whined "How come I get the most difficult one!"

"Because I already killed creepy-acid-spider" Allen retorted unsympathetically, blocking a fierce hit from his Akuma and gritting his teeth as it drove him back a good few metres. He dug his feet in the ground and ignored the loud protests from his arm as he tried to grapple free

"Urgh. Whatever. Just don't go taking all the credit for cleavers-for-hands. I already half killed him before you finished off mr-itsy-bitsy-spider" He countered

Allen stuck his tongue out at Lavi before wrestling free from cleavers-for-hands and launching a series of quick blows. The Akuma countered them well, but Allen managed to slice a line across his belly. Quickly switching to his gun, he shot down a line of level ones that were creeping up on them. He dodged away from the Akuma, which was surprisingly fast for all the size of it. Allen thankfully was faster and be led it on a merry dance as he mowed down the remaining level ones, turning every time cleavers-for-hands got too close for comfort and engaging with him again. He received another couple of cuts- one particularly painful one across his ribs but he managed to give as good as he got and eventually the fight was over. Allen spun around, scanning the skies in a nervous paranoia. His entire body was buzzing and his brain seemed unwilling to believe that it was really over. His eye however informed him otherwise. The Akuma were all gone and just as quickly as the realisation hit him, his body caught up with his brain and all of a sudden, his legs gave way beneath him and he crumpled to the ground in an exhausted heap. Lavi crumpled to the ground too a few feet away from him, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Blood trickled from cuts all over his body- his Akuma had used thin needles as his main weapon so thin cuts criss-crossed across most of his body. After a few minutes, Allen struggled to his feet and stumbled over to Lavi, offering a helping hand

"C'mon" He mumbled, his voice weary "We should get you to a…." He paused for a moment as he tried to remember what the word was he was looking for "Heal place thing"

Lavi grasped his hand and only stopped himself from collapsing as soon as he stood up by falling on top of Allen. The young boy let out a grunt of pain and surprise and only just managed to remain upright himself. Putting Lavi's arm around his shoulder, he stumbled towards the fire escape stairs at the edge of the roof

"C'mon. We can do this… _hospital_!" He cried triumphantly "Hospital. We get you. To the hospital for healing cuts. Yes. Hospital. They'll… cuts" Feeling very proud of himself for finding that elusive word, he almost fell over his own feet and came scarily closet to sending both Lavi and himself over the edge of the roof

"No" He reprimanded his feet firmly

"We've been over this before. No falling. No. Remember last time? No falling"

Somehow, despite the blood loss and fog of confusion that had settled over his brain, he managed not only to reach solid ground again but he also miraculously found himself standing in front of a large white hospital. This of course had a lot to do with the fact that Timcampy had led him every step of the way by tugging on the remaining scraps of his shirt but even so, it was quite some accomplishment. Allen winced, raising one hand over his eyes

"So bright" He mumbled. He glanced around himself "Urgh. No light switch" Lavi- who had been practically comatose the whole walk let out a groan "Oh yeah!" Allen cried, all of a sudden remembering why he was standing in from of the obnoxiously bright building

"Cuts. Yeah. Kay. Let's go" He stumbled into the A&E giving the poor first year student who was on the desk a terrible fright

"Hello" He said politely "I am so sorry to bother you but my friend here is incapacitated at the present moment in time and I was wondering- if you're not too busy of course- would you mine awfully patching him up? I would do it myself you see but I appear to be rather lightheaded. Do you mind?" He gazed hopefully up at the young girls terrified face hoping that she would comply. He really didn't think he would be able to stitch the red-head up himself. He was just so terribly tiered.

"O-of course not" The bemused girl replied "I-I'll get the doctor right away. You just wait here" At which point she promptly scarpered, running off to find someone more senior to take responsibility for the two boys before they bled out before her eyes. Allen let out a sigh of relief and lowered Lavi to the ground. He made to walk out the door then on second thought tucked Lavi's jacket under his head

"Night" He murmured before weaving unsteadily out the door where he promptly summoned his broom. He had barely flown more than a few metres before he passed out. It was probably quite lucky, as he wasn't high enough for any real damage to be done. It was also lucky that he had the wits to cast a disillusionment charm over himself before take off. Tim flapped panickedly around his master's body for a bit but after deciding that he wasn't going to wake up any time soon, he flew off to fetch the headmaster

* * *

><p>Allen came round slowly. His head ponded painfully, throbbing with each heart beat. His arm and rib soon began to vie for his attention as well. His eyes cracked open and he winced again as the bright light sent another shard of pain through his body. He gave an internal sigh of relief once he noticed that he was not-as he expected- lying in some dark smelly alleyway but instead was in the now-very-familiar pristine hospital wing. He swallowed with difficulty then tried again, opening his eyes properly. Very slowly, his pain began to ebb away and his brain began to power up again. Madame Pomfrey (using what he could only assume was the 6th sense those of the medical profession developed) walked up to his bedside before he could even call for her. She sighed long-sufferingly as she poured a deep purple mixture into a small beaker which she gently fed to him, softly scolding him for being so reckless. His pain died down even further and he began to feel slightly more human.<p>

"You have a visitor" Madame Promfrey said sternly as if she disapproved of such things

'No more than 15 minutes mind and don't you even THINK of getting up. I'm not about to let you ruin all my hard work" She gave him a scowl but it wasn't quite as stern as usual though so he took this as a good sign. He painfully forced his battered body into a sitting position and just had time to register the small mound of sweets at the foot of his bed when Harry walked in. He looked even more stressed than usual

"Allen, please, _please_ tell me you know some really ridiculously rare spell that can be used to defeat dragons"

Allen blinked confusedly. Maybe the blood loss was making him hallucinate. He really hoped not because that would mean he was not lying on a clean, freshly made bed and was in fact lying in some dirty puddle in a back alleyway somewhere in London. In which case he was probably currently dying of sepsis. Which would explain the hallucinations he supposed. Harry waved his hand in front of Allen's face

"Did you get concussion as well as lacerating… well… pretty much your entire body?" He asked impatiently

"Err… no?" Allen replied. This was one weird hallucination

"Soooo…." Harry said impatiently. Allen cocked his head to one side confusedly

"_Dragons_!" Harry yelled irritably. Allen jumped and winced

"I don't know anything about dragons!' He groaned "I _did_ almost die you know" A whiny note creeping into his voice "Why're you bugging me about dragons?"

"Oh come on" Scoffed Harry "You've been in much worse shape than this and you know it. I however have never before been mauled to death by dragons in front of my cheering classmates so yeah… if you could tell me a way to avoid that, I'd be _super_ grateful"

Allen was not impressed by the heavily sarcastic tone however he had finally figured out what Harry was babbling on about- the Triwizard Tournament. Dragon's he guessed must be the first task. Seriously. You would think that a small society like wizards would try to keep their children alive rather than throw as many dangerous things at them as possible and hope for the best.

"OK" he said slowly "So you need to defeat a dragon? Wait… how do you know about them? Aren't the tasks supposed to be a secret or whatever? How did you…"

"Focus Allen" Harry yelled snapping his fingers underneath Allen's nose "Me getting mauled to death by evil vicious dragons! How am I supposed to avoid that happening?!"

"Ah… yeah… err… I don't suppose you covered how to slay dragons in class while I was unconscious?"

"If we had I wouldn't be asking you, would I?" Harry moaned, dropping his head into his hands "I'm gonna die aren't I?"

"Oh no" Allen said bracingly "I'm sure one of the teachers will intervene before it _kills_ you. You will probably get some burns however" He struggled to hold back a smile at Harry's expression

"Oh come on! Don't look at me like that! Of course I'll help. Look, just go to the library and get me a few books out. I'll help you with the spell searching alright? Now bugger off before Madame Pomfrey blows a fuse"

The pile of sweets are the end of his bed were soon replaced with stack of books. Not only did he have to help Harry find a way to defeat a freaking _dragon_ he had to cover all the stuff he had missed in class and finish his homework. The teachers seemed to have covered the entire course

in the time he was away. They certainly were't kidding around this year. On the plus side however, at least he wasn't driving Madame Pomfrey mad this stay in the hospital wing. Every time previously he had been snapping at her heels to let him go however this time, he was more than willing to wait for as long as was needed. The quiet of the ward was actually very helpful, not to mention that Madame Pomfrey showed up at frequent intervals to give him medicine for pain which helped exponentially with his headaches. He was buried waist deep in books when Ron came through the doors. Allen didn't notice him until he snapped his fingers beneath his nose. Allen jumped violently and dropped the book he was holding on Ron's foot. Ron let out a stream of violent swear words as he hopped around the room on his good foot

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing" He roared, lowering himself gingerly onto the seat beside Allen's bed and massaging his bruised limb

"You scared me!" Allen protested "Sorry about that" Ron grumbled something unintelligible and glanced suspiciously at the pile of books beside him

"So you believe he didn't put his name in" He said bitterly. It wasn't even question. Allen noticed that Ron looked just as miserable as Harry had and he sighed.

"Yes, I believe he had nothing to do about it but really, it doesn't matter whether he did or not does it? Regardless of whether it was him or someone else, he still has to participate in games which will probably kill him." He considered telling Ron that Harry was going up against dragons but decided that the fewer people who knew about Harry breaking the rules the better.

"Look" He said patiently "I get that you're angry. Harry has a knack for finding danger and getting neck deep in it but you're his mate aren't you? I mean sure he is a pain sometimes but he always has your back. I mean just think about how many times he has risked his life for yours or for someone else. He is a good guy and you know it. Besides, you know that he always has a good reason for getting neck deep in trouble… well… he always has a reason anyways" Ron scowled but didn't retort which Allen took as a good sign. He offered Ron a couple chocolate frogs (Neat! I finally got Agrippa!) and helped him out with a torturingly painful potions essay after which Ron seemed significantly less bitter and much more like his usual self. With a sigh, Allen returned to his pile of books, deeply hoping that he would, like, come across a chapter titled 'How To Knock Out An Angry Dragon'

* * *

><p>As Allen watched a tiny Harry-sized dot zoom around the stadium, he began to feel significantly better about the book <em>not<em> containing a chapter titled 'How To Knock Out An Angry Dragon' . Besides, this way was significantly cooler than just knocking the animal out, even if it did increase the chance of receiving third degree burns. He cheered himself horce when Harry somehow succeeded in getting the golden egg and escaped with only minor burns. He smiled inwardly when Ron ran down the stand to meet his now-not-so-ex ex-friend. Allen hoped that this encounter was more successful than the last one which he had heard ended with Harry flinging something at Ron's face. Deciding to give them some space, he left the stadium with the rest of the spectators but he had barely gotten more than a few feet before Luna caught up with him

"Hey Allen. Do you want to come help me?" She said, smiling sweetly

"Err… depends on what with" Allen replied trepediously, knowing full well the crazy things Luna got up to in her spare time

"With the dragons of course" She replied as if he was being slow. Not even noticing his stunned expression she carried on

"You know, wizards think they are soooo superior to muggles but muggles banned sports like bear baiting many years ago where as we still chain up innocent creature and hurt them for sport" Her airy fairy tone had faded slightly and she looked rather upset

"Of course" Allen said, slightly taken aback by how upset she was, though now he thought about it, he realised that he agreed with her. He followed her through the crowd to the forbidden forrest where Ron's older brother was forcing a keening Chinese Fireball into the enclosure. Its eyes were streaming but its wails… Not wails of pain. Allen knew that much. It was crying for its crushed eggs. Its children which were now gone forever. Allen immediately followed it, he received a few pots of multicoloured goop from one of Charlie's dragon tamer friends along with strict instructions not to get burnt because it would mean an unholy amount of paperwork. Allen dodged around the dragons bad tempered pumas of flame, feeling bad that he was grateful Krum had half-blinded the Chinese Fireball. He deftly ran up the dragons chained foreleg and- ducking to avoid the snapping jaws- settled down on the back of its head, behind the huge horny spikes that crowned its head. He carefully reached around the protrusions and, holding his wand between his teeth, he began to clean out the streaming eyes. The dragon screamed ear piercingly but after a while, seemed to realise that Allen was helping and to his great relief, it quietened. He unscrewed the lid from one of the jars and, wriggling closer to the head, he spread the thick, pink goop around the eye, murmuring comforting words into its ear as he did so. The dragons keening mellowed to a whimper and Allen felt a tug at his heartstrings. Stupid wizards and their stupid traditions and their stupid stupidity. He scowled as he dropped some pale blue eyes drops into the creatures bloodshot eyes and petted its nose, steering well clear of its jaws. He scooted around again to the other side of the dragons head, gripping tightly onto its neck with his legs. He repeated the process with the other eye and gingerly lent down to pet her nose again with his shaking hand.

"Hey Allen!" Luna called up softly "Charlie says we need to go now. Past curfew" Allen nodded in agreement and slid back down off the dragons neck. He landed messily beside Luna and accepted her helping hand up

"She seems to like you" Luna said sweetly "Mine thankfully was OK once we gave her a sedative. Ooh, watch out. Protegro" All this was said in exactly the same dreamy tone and Allen slowly turned around to see the shield holding back a wall of flames. Shaking slightly, he turned around to face Luna again

"Aaah… thanks for saving my skin" He gasped

"Not a problem" she sang "Lets go"

Nodding shakily, Allen joined Luna and they walk side by side back to the castle, their wands cutting thin lines of light through the darkness.


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N- This is a slightly different layout from usual so yell at me if you don't like it. I feel sort of bad because Mai doesn't appear once in this chapter- I don't want to drop her from the story but she just didn't seem to fit in :/ That may become something of a trend as the story moves on...**

**Also, I changed Allen's prophesy slightly as well as the time-line of the story**

**Artistic licence :D**

**PS- ****apologiesforthecliffhangerimreallysorrypleasedontk illme :'(**

**Rex888- I love a little bit of Luna- she is among my favorite characters from Harry Potter! So ditzy!**

**NirvanaFrk97- I know Allen would do it for all his friends but that isn't the point- most people wouldn't- I mean Kanda is so unfriendly that most people wouldn't feel any obligation even to be nice to him so the fact that Allen sacraficed so much for him ****_does_**** count for something but yeah, lets stop this argument. I know canonically its not gonna happen, I just like the idea and besides, I'm not putting that in this story. This is a Laven, or will be. Eventually. Besides, my pairings aren't even the focus of this story so that will very much be in the background**

**Ennuel- Thanks- even if you're review was rather threatening, its nice to know you like the story that much! Here is another update. On;y took a week that time! Hope you like...**

**PoisonousDeamon- I kno rite :P Erm, the order will... exactly when and how, I have not yet decided :S that will be HARD to write. Think I might have Allen tell them but they won't believe him- think its a ploy of the 14th or something. I'll see :D**

Allen yawned widely as he slowly climbed the staircase up to the Gryfindor common room. He tried to force his weary body to move faster when he looked at the time but his legs felt like they were made of lead and wouldn't obay his commands. He had just rounded the final staircase when he almost walked strait into the back of a figure about to enter one of the now-empty classrooms

"Sorry!" He cried in surprise then when he saw who it was"Hang on, you're not supposed to be in the castle are you?"

Rita Skeeter turned round, a bright grin plastered across her face, her white teeth bared in what was probably supposed to be a winning smile

"Oh, I didn't see you there dear!" She edged her way around Allen before pausing

"Wait a moment, you are a friend of Harry's right?"

Allen eyed her warily

"Yes, I am" He answered shortly, unable to think of a reason not to answer the seemingly innocent question but still unwilling to engage with the strange woman

"So… how do you feel after seeing you're school friend defeat such a dangerous opponent? Proud? Pleased? Nervous?" She had produced a quill and scroll of parchment from nowhere and the quill was already flying across the parchment with hurried excitement. Allen was torn. He knew he shouldn't be talking to her after seeing the report she had done on Harry but he was trapped and couldn't think of any polite way to excuse himself. Rita raised an expecting eyebrow at him

"Erm, I am relieved of course that he wasn't badly hurt" Allen said awkwardly, wishing desperately the age could see what the quill was writing down. Rita's smile widened even further

"Well of course you are, you must have been so worried. Tell me, how long have you known Harry?"

"3 years" Allen replied

"And what sort of a person is he? Brave? Reckless?" Rita fired back immediately, clearly not planning on letting him go any time soon

"Well, he certainly is brave. He is the sort of person that would do anything to protect those he cared about" Allen stated firmly, trying as hard as he could not to give her anything to work with. He tried to back away toward the portrait but

"And do you think he put his name into the goblet?" Rita asked sharply. Allen stopped, his face serious

"No. Harry would never do something like that. He knows how dangerous the competition is and he is not so arrogant as to believe that he is invincible. Someone put his name in for some reason and he is now having to pay the consequences"

Rita's face fell slightly and then her questioning turned course suddenly

"You are the young boy that Dumbledore adopted are you not?" She asked

Blinking in surprise, Allen nodded

"Could you tell me more perhaps about your arrival in Hogwarts? I hear there was some problem with the ministry but they don't tell me too much" at this she giggled in what was clearly supposed to be a ditzy way but to Allen, it sounded awfully intimidating

"I-I'm not quite sure what you mean" He stuttered slightly. A scary gleam lit her eyes

"Something to do with what gave you that scar" She pushed, her eyes raking his face. Allen gulped slightly, his mind spinning into blind panic- what should he say?

"The ministry did question me on the wizard who gave me this scar" He said slowly, weighing each word

"As far as I'm aware there was no real problem about it. I'm afraid you'll need to ask the ministry about that. I'd better go. It's past curfew time. You should leave too" He backed away to the portrait hole and scrambled through with Rita's words echoing behind him

"Oh, I'll ask them…"

Allen slipped through the masses of people who all seemed to have changed their minds about Harry being a cheat and were all wholeheartedly celebrating his win. He struggled through to Harry and gave his friend a one armed hug which was the best he could manage with all the people milling around, cheering as Neville turned into a yellow canary

"Congratulations!" He yelled over the loud whoops of the students as George and Fred's cleverly disguised trick foods began to take effect on more people

"That was quite a performance out there!" Allen enthused, grinning "Let's see the egg" Harry dug into his pocket and pulled the shining egg out. It was about the same size as his head and was ornately decorated. The Gryfindor's quietened reverently as he pulled it out

"Open it Harry! Go on!" Lee Jordan called over the crowd and the rest of them quickly joined in, clamouring for him to open it. Harry grinned and dug his fingers into the groove around the centre of the egg and with some difficulty, prised it open. An uneasily screech filled the room, its piercing tone drowning out every sound and filling the ears of the Gryfindor's. Allen along with those nearest Harry hit the ground, their hands over their ears

"SHUT IT UP!" Fred yelled, his face twisted into a grimace but Harry didn't need to be told that. He slammed the thing shut and the silence felt almost as deafening as the shriek

"What" Seamus Finnegan said weakly "Was that?" But no one had any idea and all of a sudden everyone was looking at Harry with something more akin to pity in their eyes than fierce pride. Harry himself felt the elation of beating the dragon wearing off and the now-familiar feeling of trepidation fill his chest

Allen turned to his friend with a weak smile on his face

"Bet the dragon's feel like a walk in the park now huh?" Harry nodded, laughing shakily

"Oh by the way" Allen continued, his face grim "I was accosted by Rita in the corridor before I came here so brace yourself for another scintillating article in the newspaper any time soon. Harry rolled his eyes irritably

"She was probably trying to sneak into the common room to see what the clue for the next task was. I wouldn't mind feeding her to the dragon" Allen shook his head disapprovingly

"Look, I know after that task your feelings towards dragons aren't exactly friendly but really, thats taking it a bit too far. No creature deserves that!" Ron, who overheard this joined in the laughter and even Hermione looked somewhat amused though she scolded them none the less.

Eventually, Professor McGonnagle lost her temper with them and sent the lot of them trooping moodily back to their rooms. Final congratulations were offered to Harry as they all filed into their dorms and even once they reached their rooms, Neville and Seamus insisted that Harry give a blow-by-blow account of the whole thing again and the sky was already beginning to lighten before they fell into an exhausted slumber

* * *

><p>It was with some considerable trepidation that Allen opened the newspaper the next morning and sure enough, just a few pages in, there was a blown up picture of him. Exactly when it had been taken, he had no idea but it must have been not too long after he had arrived at Hogwarts because his eyes were wide and wild, his skin dirty and bandages swathed most of his body. In short, he looked somewhat insane. The headline read<p>

"_**Our Champion's Friend: Innocent As He Seems?**_" This was going to be good

"_Harry Potter, the youngest ever Triwizrd champion has just risen victorious over the most dangerous tasks ever- bravely taking on a dragon and triumphing over his competitors, however our belovéd champion may be in danger: Not from dragons, nor indeed from any of the perils he will undoubtably come across in the Triwizard Tournament but rather from within the school"_

Allen- who was reading this aloud to his friends raised his eyes and widened them dramatically "Ooh, I have shivers running up my spine!" He gasped "I wonder what the danger could possibly be!" Ron smirked back and Allen continued

_"Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived has been discovered to keep some rather strange company_

_'He always was attracted to the weird one's' I was informed by one of my confidants in Hogwarts- a well behaved student from a good family- 'I offered my friendship to him in my first year but he turned me down and instead made friends with Hermione Granger- a muggle born witch who seems to have an infatuation with him, Ron Weasly- who is from a very poor background and frequently borrows money from him and Allen Walker- a strange boy who appeared with no explanation in our second year, when all the strange attacks began on the students. He is a very strange boy and most of the students are scared of him'_

Allen glanced up again

"I wonder who her confidential source could possibly be" He said cooly and they all exchanged dark looks. _Malfoy_

"Oooh, look" Allen continued "They even got a quote from a ministry official!"

_" I enquired about Allen's mysterious appearance and one of the ministers who oversaw his entry into Hogwarts gave me a statement_

_'Yes, I was one of the first on scene when Allen Walker arrived at Hogwarts. He told us some cock-and-bull story about a dark wizard who cursed him, causing his hair to turn white and that scar to appear on his face. If you ask me, that story soundsvery familiar, if you get my drift' As a reporter of some reputation, I of course have seen my fair share of famous people in my time and very frequently, they are plagued by copy-cats- in other words, fanatic fans that try to emulate them. Some even go to extreme lengths. Is it possible that this boy, who is said to have no parents, latched on to Harry's story and made all of this up just to get close to him? This reporter would just like to say to the boy we are all rooting for: Be careful! Not everyone is as innocent as they first seem…'_

Allen dropped the paper onto the table as if it was a poisonous spider. His face was disgusted

"Well, there you go" Harry said, equally cooly "I guess I had better break off all contact with you huh? Seeing as how you are planning on killing me and taking my place. Us being so similar and all- what with your white hair and completely differently shaped scar" They laughed at this and noticed Draco's annoyed expression at the Slytherin's table. He obviously had expected them to be more upset by this but refusing to allow him the satisfaction, they returned to their breakfast and began to discuss the many, _many_ ways they could kill Rita Skeeter without being sent to Azkaban

* * *

><p>Allen, Ron and Harry were hunched in a circle around one of the roaring braziers that had been set up in the courtyard fire as snow whipped around them, melting as they came into contact with the ward air<p>

"Its stupid!" Ron was protesting, his voice indignant

"Why can't all the available one's just, like, put their names up on a board or something and then if you wanted to take them, you could just, like pick the name and have done with it!" Harry and Allen rolled their eyes at each other

"I'm pretty sure that counts as objectifying them Ron" Allen admonished "Just find a girl you like and want to spend time with then ask her if she wants to go. Its not that hard" He yawned widely, and rubbed his eyes, shivering

"I wish they would stop setting so much homework" He muttered "Between that and Akuma-hunting, I think I might drop dead any moment from exhaustion"

"Well why haven't you done it yet then!?" Ron yelled exasperatedly

"_What_?" Allen and Harry chorused indignantly

"Asked a girl out of course" Ron said looking rather bemused at their reaction

"Oh yeah" Allen said thoughtfully "Forgot I needed to get someone too. I'm a crazy-stalker-psycho though, remember- doubt anyone will be that willing to go with me after Rita's article"

Ron snorted "You're just as scared as we are" He said, jerking his thumb at himself and Harry. Allen raised an eyebrow, his eyes dancing

"Oh really?" He said teasingly "Challenge accepted" and with that, he strode away.

Exchanging disbelieving looks, Harry and Ron followed. Allen walked up to a group of Ravenclaw students and smiled politely

"Excuse me, could I please talk to Luna privately?" He asked courteously. The girls immediately dissolved into giggles and parted to let Luna through, she stepped delicately though the snow and Allen led her a little away from the group.

Not entirely believing their eyes, Harry and Ron followed, surreptitiously edging their way around so they could effectively eavesdrop

"Luna" Allen began confidently and Ron and Harry raised their eyebrows disbelievingly at each other- he was actually going to do it!

"I was wondering if anyone has asked you to the Yule Ball yet?" The girl who Harry vaguely recognised having seen her talking to Allen a few times previously shook her head

"No, in fact I've never been asked to a dance before. I have danced before though. Do you know that the blubbering humdinger dances sometimes" She said dreamily and Ron let out a snort of amusement

"She's a nutter!" He whispered to Harry "Even if she does say yes, I don't think that should count" But Allen just laughed at this

"Really? That'd be pretty amazing to see. Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me- I've never been to a dance before and it'd be nice to have a friend there with me to help me through it!" He laughed slightly and smiled rather nervously. Luna's pale blue eyes widened even further

"Really? I'd love to. I've never been asked to anything before. It's a nice feeling" Allen grinned and hugged her swiftly

"Thanks Luna, you're a life-saver! I'll meet you outside the Great Hall?" Luna nodded and Allen waved good-bye before joining Harry and Ron, both of whom were staring slack-jawed at him

"And _that_" He said impressively smoothing down his robes "is how you do it"

"You're mental mate" Ron said, laughing "She's completely loopy"

Allen frowned at him, actually looking rather irritated

"She's nice" He said stubbornly "She's been kind to me even though the majority of the population of Hogwarts is now avoiding me and she's sweet so please don't insult her in front of me" He strode away, looking vaguely irritated. Harry was slightly shocked by this reaction- he didn't think he had ever seen Allen get so worked up over something so small- that was Ron's job

"Yeah, but the only reason she talks to him is because the world she lives in doesn't have Daily Prophet's- only Blubbering Humdingers and Abominable Snowmen!"

* * *

><p>Allen nervously straitened the red neck tie so it sat more smoothly against his shirt. He had looked at the magazine Dean Thomas had lent him of dress robes and had promptly thrown it out, swearing never to be caught dead in such ridiculous things. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was dress like a gentlemen and those… those <em>things<em> were an abomination. He hoped that the large student body would distract the teachers enough that they wouldn't notice. He know it was part of the dress code but _really_. No. He had bought a perfectly acceptable black suit with a long black tail coat he hoped would hide the fact that he was wearing trousers and a new white shirt, crisply ironed and perfectly creased. He had even- in a state of madness- purchased a tall, black top hat which he had to admit, he liked a lot. He was adjusting his white gloves for the fifth time when Luna walked down the stairs. He gaped slightly as he saw her. She _did_ look amazing, just… ever so slightly odd. Her pale blonde hair was swept into a messy pony-tail at the side of her head and multi-coloured feathers poked out, mixed in with her hair. Her dress was dark blue till the waist where half of the skirt carried on in the same dark blue material and the other half burst into an explosion of more multicoloured feathers. She smiled widely when she saw him and he noticed that she had applied- rather impressively- multicoloured eyeshadow. He bowed politely as she approached him and was unable to keep an amused smile off his face

"You look lovely" He said sincerely "And to think that I was worried my corsage wouldn't match your outfit" He teased, gesturing at the bright feathers, then holding out the small posy of flowers he had picked from the greenhouse under the observation of a misty-eyed Professor Sprout who seemed very taken by his request to pick some of the nicer flowers in the schools collection for Luna's corsage

Luna smiled, seemingly unaware of how bizarre her outfit was as she accepted the mixture of silver and purple flowers from Allen

"Dad says that the more colours you wear to a dance, the greater chance you have of the fairies blessing you" She said seriously. Allen looked down at his monochromatic outfit and laughed

"Guess I'm not getting a blessing then" he said lightheartedly. Luna surveyed his outfit seriously, seeming not to have noticed it tip he pointed it out

"No, I don't think you will. I like it though" She said seriously, as if worried he would be upset at the idea of not getting the blessings of the fairies. Chuckling Allen offered Luna his arm and they walked through to the great hall, jointing their fellow classmates. Allen and Luna bullied their way to the front of the crowd and strained for a glimpse of the champions. Allen grinned at Harry as he walked in with Parvati. Parvati looked stunning and was smiling excitedly at her friends but Harry looked as if he had just been forced to eat a tray of Hagrid's treacle. He looked distinctly lock jawed as he smiled rather forcefully to the crowd but very soon people weren't looking at him. Whispers and nudges rippled through the gaggle of students as Victor Krum walked through the door with Hermione on his arm! Allen's jaw dropped. No wonder she hadn't wanted to tell them who she was going with. Oh Ron was gonna be _so_ furious. He glanced over and sure enough, Ron had the same lock-jawed look that Harry had been sporting earlier. This wasn't going to end well. Hermione glance through the crowd and her eyes found Allen's. He nodded encouragingly at her and mouthed "You look amazing" She flushed and smiled nervously before turning to face Krum.

Luna plucked his arm

"Was that you're friends Hermione?" Allen nodded as the band struck up a mournful tune and the champions began to swirl around the dance floor

"She looks different" Luna said, mild surprise in her tone. Allen nodded again

"Yeah, she sure does. Would you like to dance?" He offered his arm again and Luna took it. Dancing wasn't nearly as hard as he thought it was going to be- after working as an acrobat a few times in the circus, he had gained a pretty good sense of rhythm and he was good at picking up a routine so soon he and Luna were cutting a wide swathe through the students as they swirled round and round the dance floor. Luna kept the conversation going with no difficulty, telling him about how the Ministry were training post owls to read so that they could steal information about their voters. She had just moved onto the coverup the ministry and done with Fudge- who she claimed was actually a well-disguised Hag- when Dumbledore announced that food was there for those who wanted it and tables appeared out of nowhere, golden plates and cutlery adorning them.

Allen and Luna joined Ron and Harry. Ron was stony-faced and Padma looked rather frightened of him and Harry just looked harassed and clearly wished he was somewhere else- what with Percy talking his ear off about some promotion he had. Allen was digging into a huge shepherds pie when Hermione spun over to them, staggering slightly, a huge grin on her face. She plopped down on the chair that Parvati had just vacated, fanning herself with a napkin

"Hot, isn't it? Victor's gone to get drinks"

Ron's look was rather frighting to behold

"_Victor_" He scoffed "Hasn't asked you to call him _Vicky_ yet has he?"

Hermione looked at him in shock and Allen rolled his eyes. This could only go badly

"You're dress is really lovely Hermione" He said, desperately trying to smooth over Ron's rudeness but there was no covering up the glare Ron was now pinning Hermione with

"What's up with you?" She asked, ignoring Allen completely

"If you don't know, I'm not telling you" Ron sniped childishly. Hermione looked around in confusion to Harry who shook his head then to Allen who quietly said

"I think Ron has a problem with you're dance partner"

Hermione whipped her head around again to Ron

"He's from Durmstrang!" Ron bellowed, his face red "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You- You are- You're fraternising with the enemy you are!" There was a soft thud as Allen dropped his head onto the table

Man was Ron ever an idiot. Why did he have to be so emotionally stunted that he couldn't just tell the girl that he fancied her! The argument raged on over his head and he only raised it when Hermione, too upset for words, ran from the table

"Do you mind?" He asked Luna pleadingly "I'm really sorry to abandon you" but Luna just shook her head

"She's your friend" She said simply "You need to go" he ran after Hermione's disappearing figure, throwing a promise to come back over his shoulder.

Narrowly avoiding a few elbows to the face, Allen eventually exited the Great Hall and, more slowly now, followed hermione to where she slumped down on one of the stone benches in the courtyard. He sat down beside her silently and offered her his handkerchief. Wordlessly she accepted it and dabbed at her eyes. She really did look amazing, Allen thought. Of course, she had always been pretty but he guessed that seeing her in the same uniform and the same classes every day had sort of made them miss the changes and only now that tradition was broker did the changes seem quite so apparent. She swept her now-sleek hair over her ears and sniffed

"You should get back. Luna. She'll be missing you. Seeing as how you actually were dancing with her" Allen gave a small laugh

"Yeah, Harry and Ron's partners were definitely looking a little fed up! Don't worry about Luna. She understands" Hermione looked up at him, her eyes slightly red and bloodshot

"You really like her don't you" She said

Allen shrugged one shoulder, well aware that she was avoiding the subject and deciding to let her do so

"She's really nice yeah. I'm just not quite sure if I just like her or like, like her if you know what I mean" He said, slipping his jacket off and wrapping it around her shoulders. She gratefully pulled it closer to her

"I know what you mean" She said in a small voice "It's the same with Victor. He is really nice and of course he is good looking but…" She trailed off then as if she had been dying to confide in someone she rushed recklessly on "It's just… he so famous and has the pick of so many girls you know? But he chose me- no one has ever looked at me in _that_ way before and… I'm not sure if I like him for who he is or if I just like him because he is paying attention to me" She wiped her eyes again and looked up at Allen. He hugged her to him comfortingly

"Well, I think you owe it to yourself to find out. Wipe your tears, man up and go back in there then dance till your feet feel like they are going to fall off. Maybe it'll become something and maybe it won't but you deserve to find out for yourself, not have Ron decide for you" Her jaw tightened at the mention of his name

"You are beautiful, Hermione" Allen added softly "But it's not just that, you are kind and smart and a loyal friend. Anyone would be lucky to have you so go back in there and have the best night of your life, okay?" She nodded, giving a rather watery smile and shrugged off Allen's jacket offering it back to him

"You have a good night too" She murmured impulsively giving him a quick hug before turning around and re-entering the main hall.

Allen re-joined the dance not long after Hermione left and rescued a rather shell-shocked Beuxbaton's boy from Luna's ravings. He danced a few of the dances with Hermione- who seemed to have taken his words to heart and was smiling just as brightly as before. Eventually, as the night turned into the early hours of day, the teachers began to steer everyone out, silencing the music and turning the lights out one at a time with a wave of their wands. Allen and Luna made their way up to her common room as soon as the teachers began to hint at the dance closing up before the students began to stampede out, chased by the irate grown-ups. Allen slowed as they reached the portrait and they both stood awkwardly for a while

"T-thanks for coming with me" Allen said, breaking the silence and cursing his own voice for shaking. He wasn't really sure what to do at this point- all he could think of was how tiered he was yet something told him that the day wasn't quite done yet. Luna smiled back to him

"I had a really great time" She said gently "Thank you for inviting me. Most people wouldn't bother. I'm too weird" Her matter of fact voice upset Allen for some reason

"You're brilliant" He said gruffly "Anyone who thinks differently is stupid" She smiled slightly at that and Allen impulsively lent down and kissed her gently on the lips. It was short and sweet, he drew back quickly, blushing to the roots of his white hair

"I-er-I.. um… h-hope you have a good night. I- er- I'll see you later. Night" And he fled the scene, his face burning and his heart thudding far too loudly _hope you have a good night? _what the heck had he been thinking. With a groan he ran his fingers through his hair. This was all too complicated for him. He needed someone to hand him an instruction booklet for _life. _Why was everything so confusing and awkward. He entered the portrait to hear Hermione scream, her voice breaking slightly

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?"

"Oh yeah?" Ron bellowed back, his face a horrible shade of puce "What's that then"

"Next time there's a ball, ask be before someone else does, and_not _as a last resort!" She turned and ran up to her room, crying softly

"Well" Ron spluttered "well- that just proves- completely misses the point-" Stony faced, Allen strode up to Ron and slapped him hard around the back of his head

"Oi!" Ron yelled furiously "What was that for?"

Allen however had had enough of his childishness

"That" He hissed "is for making one of my best friends cry with your insensitive and immature behaviour! Hermione is perfectly free to date whomever she pleases and _you _have no right whatsoever to judge her for it!" Ron clenched his fists

"Shut up" He yelled back "What would you know anyway? You've not known her as long as we have and you're hardly even _here,_spending half you're life goodness-only knows where"

"And yet" Allen seethed "I still notice her more than you"

That, it seemed was too much for Ron and he swing a wild punch at Allen's head. Allen ducked almost lazily beneath it and grabbed his arm before he could throw another blow, twisting it behind his back. He held it there, not too tightly to hurt but tightly enough to make a point. Ron struggled for a bit but was unable to break his grip. Allen let go once he was sure Ron wouldn't retaliate again and with a furious growl, Ron stalked off to the dorm. Allen sat down rather shakily on one of the chairs, slightly regretting his actions

"OK, maybe I shouldn't have hit him" He said begrudgingly at the look Harry was giving him

"Ya think?" Harry retorted but then he sighed wearily "Actually I'm sort of glad you did. I could hardly do that seeing as how we have only just made up but he definitely needed it. Don't know what has gotten into him recently" He wearily rubbed his face, sitting down beside Allen

"By the way, got some interesting stuff to tell you" And he then began to tell Allen all that had gone on out in the grounds- discovering Hagrid was a giant, seeing Karkarov and Snape together… it was with a spinning head that Allen finally collapsed into his bed and his dreams were swirling and strange. He woke up from a particularly vivid one where Karkarov was feeding him multicoloured feathers when he decided that enough was enough. He needed to clear his head. Grabbing his black robes, he rolled out of bed, checking the bedside clock

3 in the morning. Plenty time for a good scout, especially since it was the weekend and none would be expecting him to be about too early on. He was making his way down the stairs when he came across a very drunk Professor Trewlany

"Whogoezthere" She slurred, squinting through her oversized glasses "AH!" She exclaimed loudly, casing Allen to wince and look around, hoping none heard

"Itz you iznt it? You left my class" She seemed to be very sad at this thought "I liked you in my class… such an interesting subject. Do you want me to read your cards" She asked, looming closer. Allen shook his head wildly and backed away, he had barely made it more than a few steps however when a harsh voice caused him to stop

"He has set his stage for the final act" He turned around and was shocked to see the voice emerging from Trewlany. Her arms were dangling loosely by her side and her head was thrown back, eyes wide. She looked possessed

"The curtain will drop and his players shall begin to move. Two worlds, never supposed to meet shall collide with disastrous results. Before once they have met and this fated alliance will cause unprecedented destruction" She drew a shuddering breath. Allen stood frozen by fear- what was happening? Her eyes swivelled around and locked on his

"The darkness will swallow you, and you will lose the one who is dear to you. You, the prophesied destroyer of time who shall meet the Earl in battle as the fates have set. The fight will be to the death. A soul for a soul. The price that must be payed. Such a sad fate. God's tragic clown." Her voice grew melancholy but retained its deep, harshness "Such a sad fate. A soul of darkness for a soul of light. The price.. must… be payed" Her voice trailed off and she was silent for some time then snorted loudly and jerked upright

"Oh deary me" He said, her voice high and misty once again "Think I may have taken a little too much sherry" She giggled slightly then composed herself

"You shouldn't' be out of bed at this time! I should report you to McGonnagle" She guiltily looked down at the sherry bottle in her hand

"Come on. I'll take you up myself" She said, seeming to rethink her idea. Allen obediently followed her, his body had gone oddly numb and his heart thundered in his ears. He hadn't understood everything she had said but the phrase 'a soul for a soul' seemed clear enough

Had Professor Trewlany just made a real prediction?

* * *

><p>Lavi ran up a steep grassy hill, clutching at a stitch in his side. He had just come off a mission when he received a message via Golem<p>

'_It has begun. Come at once' _

Lavi dodged his way around a few towns peole as he zigzagged his way towards the Black Order's building. He knew ever since the Earl appeared to Allen and Himself earlier on in the year that things were starting to pick up but even so, he had really hoped they would have more time than this. Scrambling up the steep hill to the Black Orders doors, Lavi wondered what this would mean for the Order. He really _really _hoped that they had some sort of secret weapon. That was the only reason all that human experimentation had been overlooked- in the vain hopes that somehow it would produce a way for them to win the war, for although Bookmen didn't chose sides in a battle, this particular one was so very different from every other Lavi had observed. If this one was long, there would be no more world to observe. The Bookment had no choice but to pick a side, purely on the fact that they were human, their side was already chosen for them. He finally burst through the door of the hospital wing and saw someone he eventually recognised as General Yeeger slumped in a chair, his body swathed in bandages, eyes rolled back madly in his head

"The Millennium Count is searching" He croaked in a twisted version of a lullaby

"Searching for the precious heart. It wasn't me. Next who'll it be?" Over and over again he sang this creepy tune, his frozen expression of horror never changing. Lavi shuddered

"I guess this is it then" He said grimly

"Yes" Komui said, unusually serious

"The Earl has begun to look for the Heart- the innocence that controls all other pieces of innocence" He sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose, his tone becoming business like

"We must find and protect our generals now. I'm afraid we have no other option now. Before, it was not so important but I'm afraid we can no longer be so forgiving" His eyes fixed on Lavi's seriously

"We _must _find General Cross"

"But we don't have any idea where he could be" Lavi protested, and uncomfortable feeling growing in his stomach- he was pretty sure he knew where this was heading and sure enough

"We need his apprentice. Lavi, _I need you to find and capture Allen Walker, whatever the cost!"_


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N- Shoutouts to people annoyed by my pairings- I'll allow a vote. If there is an overwhelming majority for a pairing I don't hate, I will roll with it (I am a generous God) My current idea is AllenxLuna followed by Laven...sidenote this is a rather plot developing chapter :D**

**Diavo:Your wish is my command- you'd better appreciate it! And NO! Of course I won't KILL Mai! What are you crazy... ok it may have crossed my mind once or twice... But Im at least 80% sure I wont do it!**

**Rex888: I know, I am sooo mean to him :P**

**NircanaFrk97: Cast your vote my friend! Like I said though, Pairings are NOT the focus of this story!**

**Ennal: hehehe... oops! I totally forgot about his birthday, you're right... I smooth over that mishap in this chapter though... sorry bout that! Glad you're enjoying the story!**

**Will of the Abyss: Your username sounds oddly like something I know... Pandora Hearts by any chance? On a side note, more luna fluff comin' right up! And I fulfilled your first wish- the second may be more difficult- muggles can't see/enter Hogwarts remember? And Lavi doesn't know Allen is a wizard... I'll see if I can figure something out but no promises :)**

**dcdc123: Today :3**

The fire in the common room crackled merrily and Allen moved gratefully towards its warmth- he had spent the majority of the night sitting in the nursery, unable to sleep, the run in with Trewlany playing on his mind horribly

_'you will lose the one who is dear to you'_

A shudder ran through his body again and he pulled Mai (whom he had stolen from her room as soon as she woke up) closer to him. He had flown to her room the very second he had gotten away from Trewlany, his heart in his mouth, fully expecting to find an empty bed, perhaps an open window. Now that he had her, he didn't want to let go ever again. Mai seemed unbothered by this attention, merrily playing with all the new toys she had received for Christmas. His friends hadn't noticed anything yet either, all three of them discussing the news that Hagrid was half-giant. Ron was horrified that Harry and Hermione weren't bothered by this news at all and- if Allen hadn't been stressing out so much about the terrifying night he'd had- he probably would have been tempted to smack him around the head again. Mai, it seemed had similar thoughts to Allen though and she threw her new dolly at Ron's head

"Stop being mean! It's not Hagrid's fault he's all tall! He probably just drank too much milk" All four of them looked at Mai curiously

"What!" She said defensively "Drinking milk makes you from up big and strong… so… maybe he just drank lots 'n' lots of milk. I don't like milk. That's why I'm still small" There was a pause as they all took in the little girls logic then- to her immense irritation- they all laughed and Harry ruffled the disgruntled girls hair

"Please don't ever grow up" He said fondly

"Ooh and speaking of growing up, Allen, don't think I didn't notice you trying to downplay your birthday! Here's your present"

He chirped, handing over a brightly wrapped parcel- Hermione and Ron handed theirs over too- they had conspired together to wait until boxing day to celebrate as the Yule Ball had been on his birthday and it'd make it much more of a surprise anyway. Allen forgot his melancholy momentarily as he ripped through the pile of presents which grew as Tim and a number of owls delivered a few more from Hagrid, Dumbledore and Mrs Wesley. He gained a personal organiser from Hermione which had- he noted- a special charm that tracked the amount of sleep you got so that it changed colour depending on how well rested you were. It very quickly turned an alarming shade of red and he hurriedly stuffed it under the wrapping paper, but not quickly enough to evade Hermione's sharp eyes and she shot him a disapproving look, thankfully not saying anything. Harry's present consisted mainly of sweet treats from Honeydukes but also a small leather case which expanded out impossibly to reveal a large selection of healing potions. Ron's present contained a packet of deluxe sugar quills. Mrs Weasly provided a gold Weasly jumper with silver 'A' on the chest and a large packet of chocolate and hazelnut muffins which Allen wasted no time in digging into though he was very careful not to get any of the chocolate over the three large books he received from Dumbledore

"Extreme Incantations, The Dark Arts Arts Outsmarted and The Healer's Helpmate... Guess he had similar thoughts to you Harry" Allen grinned, just barely restraining himself from delving into them right away

"Hopefully I won't need to bug Madame Pomfrey as much now" He joked, deliberately avoiding Hermione's eye again as she frowned at his light-hearted approach to the injuries he tended to receive. He sat the books carefully to one side and opening the smaller package that had been attached to them to reveal a thick leather belt with small black compartments **(1)**, a small note telling him that each had an undetectable expansion charm and featherweight charm on them so he could store as many items as he wished (including food). Allen grinned excitedly and stowed the sweets and leather case Harry had given him in one of the compartments. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Mai had all seized one of Allen's muffins while he was distracted and were all munching away, looking very pleased with themselves for managing to steal food from him (it was no mean feat). Allen scowled playfully at them and grabbed the remaining three muffins and stuffed them all (rather triumphantly) into his mouth, ignoring the noises of disgust that they produced as he munched through them. He finally reached Hagrid's package which was a small brown paper package. Allen gulped down his last mouthful and wiped his hands before prising the spell-o-tape off the package and unfolding it to reveal a pack of hand-made poker cards. A small note was attached

'_I know how much you love to play card games, and I was just thinking, seeing as how you'll be leaving soon and all that you coold use these and then youd remember hogwarts when you played. Hope you have a great birthday. Give hugs and kisses to Mai_

_Hagrid'_

Allen folded the note up carefully and slipped it into one of the compartments on his new belt, his eyes bright. He then flipped his way through the cards, each of which depicted some sort of magical creature instead of the usual aces and spades. There was a Chinese fireball, its ruff fanned out like a crown around its head instead of the 'King' card and a phoenix, its feathers flaming like a cloak around it in place of the 'Queen'. Hagrid's artwork was surprisingly good though, as Harry pointed out, he had depicted the creatures in a typical Hagrid-ish way. The dragon looked as harmless as a puppy- not at all like the one Allen had met on the night of the first Triwizard test but you really could expect nothing less from someone who thought it was a good idea to keep a giant spider as a pet...

The four teenagers were still admiring the cards as the trudged through the snow-laden grounds on their way to 'Care of Magical Creature'. Allen, excited to see Hagrid and thank him for the gift, ran on ahead of the group but as Harry, Ron and Hermione rounded the corner, they saw him walking back towards them with a confused look on his face

"He's not there" He said, his voice worried, joined them

"What?" Harry asked stupidly.

Allen shrugged and pointed to a tall woman who was standing in front of Hagrid's hut. The woman, it turned out, was Proffessor Grubbly-Plank and it was about as easy getting information out of her as it was getting blood from a stone. She blatenly ignored their questions and strode ahead of the class, leaving the group to trail behind her, casting curious looks at the dark windows of Hagrid's hut. Allen didn't pay one bit of attention to the beautiful unicorns in the hatch

"But he gave me my birthday present" He said for the fifth time "Why didn't he _say_ he was ill if he was ill"

"Oh he's not _Ill _Walker" came Malfoy's scathing voice

"No, he is just too humiliated to show his _big _ugly face, if you catch my drift" He grinned at Crabbe and Goyle who guffawed and grinned conspiratorially

"What do you mean, Malfoy" Harry snapped irritably. Malfoy threw a newspaper at them carelessly

"You really should keep up with the news you know" He sneered, a look of glee on his face as all four of them bent over the paper to read the article.

"This" muttered Allen "is the biggest pile of _horse manure _ I have ever read. What is this about _him" _He pointed at Crabbe "Getting a bite from a flobberworm? They don't even have teeth!"

Crabbe sniggered, looking rather proud of himself for coming up with such a clever lie

"Well" Malfoy said, with mock piety

"I just thought it was important that everyone know the truth, I mean to say, a _giant _teaching children? It just isn't right. Who's to say he even understands what he is teaching? At any moment, his animalistic side could take over and… well… goodness knows what could happen" He watched triumphantly at the growing anger on their faces

"I was just concerned for the well-being of my fellow students" He simpered but that was enough. Allen snapped. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or the pressure of the past few days. Or perhaps it was just the smug look of superiority on Malfoy's face. Whatever the reason, he surged forward, grabbing Malfoy by the front of his robes and slammed him hard against the trunk of a nearby tree. Screams and cried echoed from the class- or at least from the Slytherin side… the Gryfindors were significantly less concerned- Professor Grubbly-Plank yelled over the noise "_WHAT _do you think you are doing!" But Allen either didn't hear or didn't care

"You slimy piece of filth" He spat

"Hagrid was accepted to Hogwarts, the finest school in the country so that says all that needs to be said about his mental capacity and as for his _humanity" _He leaned forward and lowered his voice to a venomous hiss

"Hagrid has more compassion and kindness in his little finger than you have in your whole body Malfoy. You with your schemes and your poisonous words, out to hurt as many people as possible. Hagrid is twice the man you are" He let go and backed away, a look of disgust on his face, leaving Malfoy crumpled at the base of the tree looking rather shell-shocked. He gathered his wits though and pointed after Allen "That was assault! Professor! Walker just attacked me!"

Professor Grubbly-Plank had an unreadable(2) look on her face and she shot a quick look at Allen before saying

"I didn't see any attack. On your feet Malfoy. And stop interrupting the class" She turned to Allen

"Don't make me regret my decision" She said in an undertone before sweeping back over to the paddock and resuming the lesson. Malfoy sent a venomous look in Allen's direction but seemed unwilling to enter into another confrontation and avoided him for the rest of the lesson. Harry, Ron exchanged surprised looks, both unwillingly impressed by their new teacher but Hermione instead watched Allen who was staring pale faced into the distance, his face blank and his fists clenched. What was going on with him?

Lavi jerked awake with a start as the Pada kicked him hard in the ribs

"Oi, old geezer! What was that for" He pouted, rubbing his eye sleepily "I was having the best dream as well… Kanda was getting hit over the head by a giant lollipop wielding a rubber chicken and Lenanlee was wearing this cute little…" He got no further because Bookman dropkicked him in the face, sending him flying across the room

"Enough of your babble you incessant little pest! You're supposed to be working at bringing Allen to the order! Instead here you are! Sleeping like a good for nothing lazy child!"

Lavi raised himself with a groan "Well thats a little strong" He muttered grumpily "It's not so easy getting a hold of him you know! His golem is untraceable and he's not answering our messages…" The look on Bookman's face became positively apocalyptic- no one but Lavi would have been able to tell as his facial expression itself hardly changed but that twitch of the eyebrow… that darkening of the aura… it was unmistakable. Lavi kept to his feet "But of course I wouldn't give up so easily!" He gasped "I'm off right not to try and figure out a way to get him! Just you wait! I'll get him!" And with that, he turned tail and ran out of the room. It wasn't retreating he consoled himself, it was just advancing in a backwards direction. He hurried down the corridor, paying no attention to where he was going at all. How to get a hold of Allen without him realising. It wouldn't be easy, that was for sure. He still had no idea how he had gotten away from them all the other times they had captured him- even with that collar specially designed by the science department- Lavi still cringed with the memory of what had happened there- he'd never get over the humiliation he had felt as he turned up to the order… the collar joining him and Kanda together. Whatever that kid had done to it, it had stopped obeying his orders and it had take a full _day _for Komui to figure out how to remove it. And that wasn't accounting for the day of travel attached to Kanda by a short length of chain. Exactly how he had survived, he still couldn't remember. If it was a case of just capturing Allen, it would be easier but they needed his co-operation as well and he seemed pretty set on not joining the Order and his ability to disappear into thin air was unprecedented. The best option he could come up with (and it was painful to think that it was his best option) was simply to reason with him but if he couldn't get in contact with him, how was he to go all logic on him? Stoopid Panda. Stoopid order. Stoopid _Lvierre. _Did they think it was so easy to contact him? Lavi pouted moodily and stuck his hands in his pockets. All the times he had run into him previously, it had been on a mission of some sort or other but as their only mission to the moment was tracking down Cross, it seemed less likely that they would meet him purely by chance. At the moment, they were just following rumours and stories of Cross's presence- it was all they had to go on and even though they had two bookmen on their side, the best leads they could come up with were pretty weak. They _needed _Allen. Komui had mentioned something about Allen's golem begin able to track down its maker which seemed a weird technical fluke in Lavi's opinion- from a guy who didn't want to be tracked down, seemed like a pretty stupid thing to attach to his devices though, he guessed that since they didn't have Allen, they didn't have the fluke and so it wasn't such a flaw. He smirked, Cross seemed like a pretty interesting guy… he was looking forward to meeting him

Skin scowled in anger and irritation as he bulldozed his ways through a snow-smothered forest in Albania. Lero floated behind him, keeping a safe distance from the bad-tempered Noah as they made their way to a seemingly abandoned house in the middle of this god-forsaken woodland. Skin was beyond livid- they were here on the slimmest of clues as to that stinking snake-like freaks whereabouts. It was utterly ridiculous and just went to prove how desperate they were for some sort of lead. The Earl for some reason thought that freak was still breathing and was determined to search him out. He was getting paranoid all of a sudden, now that his plan was beginning to come into effect. He was getting his trusted Noah back and his army of Akuma had been built up to an unimaginable horde. Not to mention the fact that the idiot Lvierre had begun making Akuma-cross bread freaks and placed them to work in the order. The fool of a man- so arrogant- to think that he even had the hope of controlling a creation that completely belonged to the one true ruler of the closer the Earl got his goal however, the more paranoid he became and the Voldey freak was worrying him and when the Earl was worried…

Well…

Skin shivered slightly and continued forging a thick path through the deep snow. Stupid Tiki he thought- if that idiot wasn't so damn lazy and difficult to get a hold of, he would be doing this in his place. Road of course whined too much to be sent on a mission like this, the twins couldn't be trusted with anything and Lulabell was already off on some other mission or other. His other brothers and sisters were still in the process of waking up. Although the transfer of souls had gone well, they were in something of a comatose state however the Earl was confident that he would be able to wake them. Until he did though, Skin had to deal with the grunt work.

Exactly what had made the Earl so sure Voldey-thing had been in Albania of all places was beyond Skin- sure there had been some speak of a few foragers seeing smoke from the cottage and a couple of idiotic teens had been found dead in the woods with bloody punter marks in their necks that had been put down to some sort of wild animal attack. That and the fact that an odd woman had turned up in the village for a few days before mysteriously disappearing was enough to send off alarm bells with the Earl apparently and now he had Skin out to scout the abandoned house.

Skin gave a grunt of relief as he finally reached the crumbling stone building

"Lets get this over with" He grunted to Lero

"Lero I'm not going in first Lero!" Lero squealed panickedly, sweating profusely and flinching away from the poisonous glare that Skin shot at him

"Fine. You useless coward" Skin spat, kicking the door in violently and striding into the room, lightning crackling at his finger tips, little bolts skittering into the corners of the room before fizzling out as they found nothing but cold stone

"Get in" He growled to the ridiculous golem "Looks like someone has been here. Gone a few months by the look of things. Take your readings and lets get out of here"

The Earl sat forward in his chair, leering at the screen as Lero's scans flashed. Yes, someone had definitely been there and had cast some pretty powerful spells- the fact that the scans were still picking up the energy after so long was proof of that… He cursed under his breath irritably. From the looks of things, that cursed wizard was still alive. The arms of the chair buckled under his grip, the manic grin never wavering. What was it going to take to get rid of that pest? It was near impossible to get any information on those wizarding freaks even with the equipment that the 14th had made… the 14th…

The Earls grip loosened slightly- he missed him more now than ever- he had always been so good at this stuff. It was his design that allowed them to scan for magical energy and he had a deep understanding of the working s of magic. Mostly due to his brother Mana… how the Earl wished he had gotten rid of that pest as he was sure it had been his fault Nea had turned on them. He had always kept that human side of Nea present, even if it was just a small flicker and the longer he stayed with him, the more his human side came through. At first, the Earl hadn't minded- Nea had been so destructive which, while useful had not been as useful as his more scientific side. With his melodies, he could both tear apart and build up. Initially, when the Noah in him had awoken, Nea had been overwhelmed. His power had been phenomenal but he was reckless and mindless. Mana however had stuck with his brother, using his magic to protect himself from his rage. He had stayed throughout his transformation and throughout his time in the family. The Earl had been tempted to dispatch of him immediately of course but when he saw the control he held over Nea and his magic, he decided to wait. The world would never truly be his until his Akuma were the only creation in it, and the Wizards with their magic were just as much of a threat as the exorcists. Everything had been going so well, till out of the blue, Nea turned on them and almost killed off the whole family. A single tear slid down the Earls face. That pain he had felt as he looked over his slaughtered children and looked up at the one whom he had loved so dearly, blood still dripping from his sword

"_I see now, Adam" _he had said, his voice sorrowful _"I see the melodies of the world and I will not let you crush them. I will stop you" _

It must have been that cursed brother- putting ideas in his head- perhaps even using that accursed magic of his. As if one of his creations would ever even consider living in a world still populated by God's abominable creatures. What a twisted pace- people with free will, with all those weaknesses. Those mortal beings, with twisted morals and insatiable greed. The world he wished to build should be everyones dream. He would build it on the bones of the debased creatures they called humans- wizard and mundane alike and no one, not even Tom Riddle would stop him

Allen sat in the darkened nursery, watching Mai's breathing, unable to tear his eyes away.

"You will lose the one who is dear to you…" The words echoed round and round his head, like a mantra. He jumped violently as the door creaked open and Hermione slipped in and sat down next to him. He avoided her eyes, which were practically brimming over with concern. She reached out her had and touched his shoulder gently

"Allen…" He hugged his knees closer to his body and, in a rather small voice, told her what Trewlany had told him. There was a long shocked silence and Allen stubbornly refused to make eye contact with her.

"Allen" She said gently again "You do realise don't you that prophesies are… well… unreliable to say the least. There's no reason to think that anything is going to happen to Mai- She's in Hogwarts! The safest place in the world. You really have nothing to worry about. Besides, Trewlany is full of rubbish, you know that!"

Allen however was unconvinced

"You have seen what goes on in this school Hermione, pretty sure its not the safest place in the world. And you _know _Trewlany prophesied that Wormtail would return to Voldemort" Hermione let out a small squeak at this and Allen shot her an exasperated glance "You-know-who then. It was a true prophesy. There is no doubt about that. I just… Its just… I've been so selfish with Mai- I knew when I took her that I was going to be putting her in danger but I took her anyway. If anything ever happens to her, I'll never forgive myself. She doesn't deserve any of this" He yelped suddenly as Hermione slapped him non to gently around the head

"What was that for" He hissed, worriedly watching Mai for any signs of her stirring

"You!" Hermione hissed, venomously "You are the most idiotic, dimwitted, fool of a boy I have ever met!" Her face was bright red and she was shaking with anger. Allen backed off slightly but she grabbed a handful of his robes and bundled him out of the nursery into the corridor where she let lose

"You are NOT allowed to blame yourself for this do you hear me?" She yelled "Tell me, did YOU make Akuma?"

Allen shook his head rather nervously "No, but"

"Did YOU kick her out of her parents house?" Hermione steamrollered on, ignoring him

"No" He conceded "but…"

"Did YOU at any point put her deliberately in danger?" She continued, her eyes spitting

"Of course not!" Allen protested indignantly

"Well then!" She said triumphantly "Any one with brains can see that you love her and have been protecting her through her entire life and I would like to point out that you have not had the same courtesy, yet do I hear you complaining? NO! Well then, what do we conclude from this?" She glared pointedly at Allen who shook his head looking non-plussed. Hermione drew herself up to her full height, her bushy hair seeming to expand in her fury and add another few inches onto her height

"We are to conclude that if anything ever _did _happen to Mai, it would NOT be your fault! Besides all this, I'd like to just point out here that the prophesy doesn't exactly mention her by name, or even say she will be harmed. You're not the only one who cares for her Allen, she is surrounded by a school of wizards all of whom would rather die than let her get hurt" She seemed to deflate after this tirade and she lent forward and hugged a rather shellshocked Allen

"You go through life on your own" She said, her voice sounding rather chocked with tears

"You deal with everything on your own and put your life on the line time and time again with no regard for those who care for you. Just think Allen, how worried and sad you feel at the thought of Mai being hurt- that is how we feel about you, every time you disappear off in the middle of the night to fight these monsters" She gripped the back of his robes tightly

"I ..." Allen said surprised at this outburst, not entirely sure how to respond

"Shut up" She sobbed

"That prophesy said you will die and yet you didn't even think of that did you? You didn't even think how it would hurt when you told me? Do you hold that little regard for our friendship that you think your life is so inconsequential to me?" Allen's eyes widened slightly. He _hadn't _really thought of it- sure he had realised the prophesy was about his death but…

"I'm sorry" He whispered hugging Hermione back. I just… I didn't think" Hermione pulled back and wiped at her eyes, glaring at him through her tears

"Don't think I'm going to forgive you so easily" She choked, but she gave him a small smile.

"Come on, we need to tell Ron and Harry" They both made their way up to the common room where even Ron set aside his differences to tell Allen that he was being paranoid and that if anyone even came close to Mai or him they would _quote unquote _

_"_Pwn him like a boss" which, although it didn't make the situation any less serious, it made him feel better

Allen was in the middle of breakfast with Luna (he now rotated meals between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables) when a first year kid ran up to him with a letter clutched in their pudgy fist. The kid practically threw it at him, garbling something that sounded life "Profsrdmbdrsdtogvthstou" Before he ran away, shooting fearful looks over his shoulder. Allen raised an eyebrow in the kids direction and cracked the seal. Luna lent curiously over to read it with him

"_To Allen_

_Please come to my office during break, have some rather important news_

_Sincerely Professor Dumbledore_

_P.S., password is Sugar Snaps"_

Luna fixed her wide eyes on him "Do you suppose he found out about the manticore in the Forbidden Forest?" Allen gave him a rather non-plussed look

Didn't you know, Hagrid was using one to breed with fire-crabs to make those blast-end screwt things- I heard their venom does some pretty cool stuff. If he does tell you something about it, do you think you could convince him to let us take a sample? They're really rare…" Allen nodded, deciding not to even question the theory. First period Transfiguration seemed to drag on forever and it took Allen about half the class to turn the guinie pig into a pair of mittens, and even then, they still squirmed uncomfortably every time you tried to pull them on. As soon as the bell rang, Allen made his way up to Dumbledore's office, waiting till the corridor was free of students before opening up the passageway. He knocked politely and entered at Dumbledores command, he was slightly taken aback at the piles of paper that were stacked around the room- even though they were neatly ordered, he had never seen Dumbledore's office in such a mess

"Ah, Allen, its good to see you. I've had a message from Cross… It looks like the Earl's plans are escalating. There's no time to wait for the ministry to come to their senses any more, we need to take matters into our own hands" He waved his wand at the scrolls spread across the desk and they all organised themselves into a nice bundle, held together with a ribbon

"How exactly are we going to do that?" Allen asked

"Do we get to turn them into gerbils and run the government ourselves?" He grinned excitedly and Dumbledore chuckled

"If only… I was thinking a little less anarchy and a little more intellectual rationalising?" Allen sighed disappointedly "I'll take what I can get. What are these then" He asked tapping the scrolls

"Accounts of Akuma attacks I have gathered- interviews, pictures and the like. All that needs done is to get an interviewer- It'd be best coming from you, this is your story. Plus you seem to have a knack with interviewers" He smirked slightly, eyes twinkling merrily. Allen rolled his eyes and gathered the scrolls up

"Oh, I'll get these published. I have _connections" _He wiggled his eyebrows impressively and backed out of the room, using his elbow to open the door.

Harry manoeuvred his way with considerable difficulty through the towers of books and parchment that surrounded Allen and Luna. They appeared to be working simultaneously on a potions essay, a transfiguration diagram, books on rare magical creatures and the article Luna was helping Allen publish about Akuma.

"This" He announced impressively, plonking down on the table in front of him

"Is an intervention"

Allen stared at him in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Im interviening!" Harry said again "I'm intervening so you can help us in an intervention- I'm doing an intervention within an intervention. Its, like, intervention-ception"

"Woah man" Ron chipped in "Thats deep"

'I know, right" Harry countered. Allen snapped his fingers irritably under his nose

"Why are you sitting on my potions essay, Potter. Focus!"

"Oh yeah… about that. Well, you need to get you're but out of this cave of books you have built and Hagrid needs to get out of his cabin so _you _need to get out of here so we can get _Hagrid _out of there. Do you follow? Oh, and bring Mai, we are not- it turns out- so honourable that we won't resort to simple emotional blackmail when needed" Allen opened his mouth to protest but both Harry and Ron reached down, taking an arm each and frog-marched him out of the Library with Luna calling out "Good luck!" After them.

A few minutes later, they deposited a rather disgruntled Allen and an excitable Mai outside the cabin door where Hermione was already banging loudly on the door.

"No luck" She sighed, walking over to them. "Oh good, you brought reinforcements" Allen handed Mai over to Hermione and approached the hut door

"Hagrid" He yelled "Are you in there?"

"Go 'way" Came a muffled voice from within the cabin.

"Oh come on!" he yelled "You know we don't care about who your parents happen to be. Just let us in ok? We miss you" There was no reply. Allen made his way over to the rest of them

"There's no other way" He said heavily "We'll have to break out the big guns" he held out his arms to accept Mai and kissed her on the cheek

"Go my pretty, work your magic!" He carried her over to the door

"Hey Mai, why don't you see if you can get Hagrid to come play with you? He's a little deaf" He stage whispered "So you'll have to be extra-specially loud. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Mai nodded excitedly and slapped the flat of her hand on the door, which, while ineffective was undeniably adorable

"Hagrid!" She yelled out "Hagrid, come play! I learnded how to do snap yesterday and Jibo always wins when I play with him. Pleeeeease" Her incessant pleading went on for about 2 minutes before Hagrid caved and opened the door. Mai flew into his arms instantly and chattered away at breakneck speed about her week in school, oblivious to the strong smell of drink and the tear traks on his cheeks. Feeling incredibly guilty, the rest of them made their way into the cabin too. Allen convinced Mai to play another game of snap, though with all the best will in the world, he couldn't quite control his alter-ego

"Jibo! That's not faiiir!" Mai wailed as Allen won for the forth time in a row. He chuckled and handed the pack over to Ron

"Take my place man" He said, dropping a kiss onto the top of Mai's head "I sense a temper tantrum coming on!" He swapped places with him and joined in with Harry and Hermione's intervention

"Look Hagrid" He said patiently "Rita writes rubbish- do you believe one word of what she wrote about me?" Hagrid shoot his head miserably "Well then, none of us believe you're about to eat half the student population in a blood rage either" Hagrid let out a weak chuckle at this and Allen took that as a good sign

"Come on. You know we rely on your expertise to stop those blasted skrewts from setting fire to the whole school and there is no way Harry can win the task without you on the sidelines. Please come back?" Between that and the hugs and kisses he received from Mai, they left the a significantly cheerier Hagrid behind them

"I know you'll win this thing!" Hagrin yelled after Harry "You show 'em. Beat 'em all" and Allen couldn't help but notice the look of concern on Harry's face- was it possible that his friend wasn't as prepared for the next task as he was claiming to be?

…

"YOU IDIOT!" Allen yelled in exasperation "There's only a few weeks left! How can you _possibly _not have told us you didn't know yet?! We could have been helping you!" Harry shook his head miserably

"I'm sorry, its just there is all this pressure and you are, like, barely sleeping as it is… Cedric gave me a clue though. Wasn't going to go through with it. He's probably just screwing with me but… I guess I should try it out?" He gave a rather sheepish smile and ducked quickly as Allen threw a book at his head

"What are you still doing here? Get a move on!" He ran from the room avoiding another missile and Allen growled irritably. Fool of a boy. Now he had to add that to the ever-growing list of things to worry about.

Allen and Luna sat back to back in the library, among a sea of parchment and books. Allen was alternating between writing his potions essay, searching for viable ways to breathe underwater and talking through his first of what was going to be a series of interviews in 'The Quibbler" on Akuma. Luna was sifting through the scrolls of parchment Dumbledore had provided with statements from muggles who had seen Akuma and lived to tell the tale

"Ok, we'll start off with the eye-witness accounts before we do your story- although people tend to be sceptical of muggle eye-witnesses..." She said, shuffling some bits of paper around

"That way, there'll be some hard evidence for people to get them hooked, then we'll move onto your own experiences" She pulled a few of the photos to the front

"These'll be perfect" There was silence "Hey, Allen, are you ok?" A soft snore came from behind her. She smiled and turned slightly, easing Allen's head down onto her lap and reaching across to pick up his potions essay. A few hours later, she had finished a draft of the article, his potions essay and was digging through a couple dusty books on magical creatures when she let out a cry of excitement. Allen woke with a jerk

"Whuzzgoingon?" He gasped

"Look at this!" Luna cried excitedly, leaning closely in to read the faded, small print

_"… for as many creatures as we have discovered, there are many we have yet to research. For example, the Akuma- a creature said to kill humans and wear their skins as their own. Though some skepticism still remains about this creatures existence, below we have listed a number of suspicious deaths that have been linked to this creature, along with eye witness accounts"_

She turned her pale eyes onto Allen

"These accounts are from wizarding families Allen! And well known ones at that!" Allen lent over to read the passage too, a wide grin spreading across his face

"You are a genius Luna" He enthused "This is brilliant!"

She grinned at his excitement "We can definitely put this in the article- It might be the final piece of proof we need"

Allen lent across the tombe and embraced her

"Seriously, thank you so much for all you've done for me" He pulled away and gently kissed her.

"You are a life saver!" They grinned awkwardly at each other and began to gather up the papers spread around them after a sharp word from madame Pince.

I was odd though Allen realised as he walked up to the common room. Clearly the Akuma _used _to kill wizards at least- what had changed? There was no way that statistically they had just been lucky in the past 40 odd years. Not one single wizard had been attacked, meaning there was not one single 'reliable' eye witness account and therefore the wizarding world would be unwilling to accept the existence of the Akuma- Muggle accounts and deaths apparently just didn't hold as much sway. Perhaps the Earl was actually just hoping by avoiding attacking wizards, he would be able to avoid any attack from them. To his credit, this plan seemed to be working out for him so far but Allen couldn't help but feel that it just wasn't his style...

(1) the belt from his black order uniform basically

(2) I think grubbly-plank is underestimated a lot- remember she would have taught Hagrid in school and I think that she'd have liked him and so would be loyal...just my opinion :)


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: I am so sorry for how late this is- In my defence, uni is piling the work on and this was a really hard chapter to write- not that I wasn't really excited about it or anything, its just very plot-developing and I needed to juggle timelines a bit and figure out technicalities and stuff and this so sorry and here you go and I really, really hope you don't hate it ^^ Ooh! I have some Kanda/Allen bonding time in here :D Its not Yullen or anything but its just developing their relationship into more of a camaraderie tolerance to full blown dislike :P PS., I concluded after the pairing poll that no matter what I do, I will annoy ppl so I am sticking with my previous pairing plan! Screw all of you! notreallypleasedonthatemeimsorry '('.')'**

**Will of the Abyss: I am sorry I haven't had time to formulate a coherent and semi-intellectual response to your PM yet but I am LOVING these ideas! You're welcome for the crying Hermione- I pretty much just gave her Lenalee's rant and changed it a little to be more Hermione-ish but yeah, totally incorperating our ideas into this story :D :D :D **

**fairygirl90- You pose a very good point about white Tyki and I hadn't thought about that- I will definitely arrange a meeting yes, it is important for plots and stuffs. Will have to come up with another way to do that- thanks so much for pointing that out! I would have forgotten otherwise! Yeah, I really love Luna as a character so I wanted to bring her in before Allen leaves for the Order :) I quite like them together too because she is so accepting and Allen has always felt like an outcast- they just seem like a good fit :P Hope your laptop remains intact after this chappy- tis a rather long one! I'm pretty impressed at you reading the whole thing in one day! This story is turning out much longer than I expected. I'm really glad you enjoyed it so much- thanks :)**

**dcdc123 and Shirubagure- They are just adorkable aren't they ^^**

**Dominus Cordis- Yeah, I guess your right, I just had so many requests for specific pairings and I didn't want to disappoint my readers if the majority really wanted one outcome but Im going for my original plan anyway- just as a warning, it may be some time before this story is actually done- just sayin' been writing this for... omg, like, 2 years! Wow 0.0 I really need to get my act together don't I?**

**Cana99: ... sorry? There is cute AllenxKanda-ness in this chapter if that helps? I do like yullen too but this story is just writing itself as a laven in my head and I seem to have very little control over my own brain :/ :P**

**Rex888: after babysitting a number of times for my little brother and sisters, I will ****_never_**** underestimate the abilities of small children *shivers***

**PoisonousDeamon: Ew! How could you suggest besmirching Allen's purity like that! No! This will start as Allenxluna then go on to laven so you'll get the best of both worlds :)**

**cororandomontes: I kind of wanted to do an Allen Rita Skeeter show down but I couldnt find the time in the story or in my life to write it :P**

Harry passed the letter he had received from Sirius around his friends

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmede?" Ron asked incredulously

"Looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione, taking the letter from him

"Maybe he has some information for us" Allen said hopefully "He might have figured out who put your name in that goblet! Even if he hasn't, it'll be good to see him again, right Harry?"

Harry nodded, his pleasure palpable and his good mood continued right through the day till the final class- potions. Malfoy and his group of faithful followers stood snickering at the door.

"Ooh, here they are" Pansy sneered as they approached, giving Hermione a dirty look. The teens glanced at each other, unintimidated

"What's your problem?" Ron snapped at her irritably

"What, grumpy coz your the only one she's not put out for yet Ronny-kins?" Pansy sneered, sending another poisonous look in Hermione's direction. Allen wasn't entirely sure what she was implying but whatever it was, it definitely wasn't nice.

"I'm sorry, but could you please tell us what are you talking about" He said, keeping his tone even. Pansy snorted and threw the magazine she was holding at them calling out

"Don't know why you even need to ask _Allen, _no point in trying to hide it anymore. Your secret is out- _I _was under the impression that you were dating that freaky bug-eyed chick. Can't say I really approve of your taste in women, though I guess you can't be too picky looking like that…" Her eyes trailed scathingly down Allen's body and she wrinkled her nose in revulsion- Malfoy sniggered in the background

Shooting a rather confused look at Pansy, Allen reached for the magazine but at that moment, Snape arrived and opened the classroom door. They filed in obediently and waited impatiently for Snape to turn his back. At the first chance, Hermione rifled through the magazine and Allen lent over her shoulder to read along with her. It was one of the most spiteful articles he had ever read- even by Rita Skeeter's usual standards, basically implying that Hermione was trying to seduce Harry, Allen and Krum with the assistance of a love potion. Alongside the article, there was a picture from the Yule Ball of Allen placing his jacket around Hermione's shoulder. Allen maintained his poker face with some difficulty, fighting hard to quell the urge to beat Rita Skeeter about the face with his codfish. Hermione just laughed off the article but he couldn't help but feel anger for her- it was just childish that a grown woman felt the need to write such cruel things about a teenage girl who was as far from the flirtatious tease she was being painted as, as was possible

"I wonder how she knew Victor asked me to visit him over the summer though" Hermione asked, avoided the inquisitive stares of her friends as she ground up her potions ingredients.

"He asked you to come visit him? What did you say?" Ron asked, sounding distinctly put-out

"Well, I was too busy seeing you and Harry were OK to answer him at that precise moment…" she trailed off, pointedly ignoring Ron's incredulous look "By the way Allen, you really should go see Luna about this- set her strait before she gets the wrong idea" At this point, Snape swooped in like a vindictive bat and proceeded to read the entire article out loud to the whole class, very effectively humiliating all of them. Allen escaped from the class as soon as possible but he had no way to get in to the Ravenclaw common room so eventually he had to give up and wait till the next morning.

* * *

><p>He sat at the Gryffindor table, nervously glancing up every time students came through the door till eventually Luna wondered in, looking rather like she had ended up there completely by accident. Allen waited for her to sit down and nervously watched, trying to figure out when would be the best time to approach her. Hermione shot him a fierce look from the other side of the table that clearly said 'you-had-better-not-chicken-out-of-this' and he quickly stood up, and walked over to the Ravenclaw table, swallowing his trepidation. He approached Luna, trying to ignore the glares and giggles from the girls at the table. He sat down on one of the empty seats surrounding her. She seemed not to notice his presence till he tapped her shoulder<p>

"Oh, hey" She said, smiling up at him

"Hey… err… look, Luna, there was this article… I was wondering if maybe you had read it…"

"Oh, yes that. Of course I've read it Allen" Her face was unreadable

"Err… I hope you know, I mean, I hope you don't believe it" He stuttered nervously once again cursing his stupid brain for being unable to form coherent sentences when he was around her

Her face was unnaturally serious "Of course I believe it Allen, how couldn't I? There was a picture. How can you deny it when there is such proof?"

"Its not what it looks like, I promise! I was just comforting her, she was really upset and it was cold, I promise we are nothing more than friends- look, I care about you, I'm dating you. I promise, I would never do anything like that to you" Luna stared at him, her expression still unreadable

"What are you talking about?" She asked, sounding rather confused. She held up a copy of 'The Quibbler' which featured a picture of the 'Ashwinder Snake'

"Do you have a pet Ashwinder?" She asked hopefully "That's rather dangerous you know, they do have rather short tempers but they are incredibly rare, you know people don't believe they exist- father and I of course have known of their existance for a while, we did an article on it a few months ago and there have been so many eyewitness accounts but still, people refused to believe that they exist but now there is an actual photo" she waved The Quibbler in Allen's face, the front of which was sporting a blurry black and white photo, which- though it was moving- was so out of focus as to make it impossible to determine what the picture was actually of

"What? No! I meant the article in that witch's magazine thing-y about me and Hermione. Here look" He handed the magazine over to her

"But I promise it doesn't mean anything" Luna's wide eyes skimmed the article and she began laughing. Allen nervously smiled too

"Skeeter really is a very strange writer" She said folding up the magazine

"She doesn't like father and I because we publish articles on creatures that she doesn't believe in but she makes stuff up all the time- for some reason people still believe her lies quicker than anything we write" Allen let out a sigh of relief

"So you believe me?" he asked

"Well, of course" She said, as if he was rather stupid "I know you and you are nothing like the person in the article. So, can I see the Ashwinder Snake? Father says here that if you listen hard enough to them, they will tell you a secret spell to create wings of fire. Wouldn't you like wings of fire? I think…" But Allen cut off her rambling with a kiss on the cheek

"You" He laughed "Are one of a kind"

Luna looked rather taken aback but smiled and kissed him back, then rested her head on his shoulder

"Thank you" She said in a rather small voice. He squeezed her shoulder

"Wings of fire would be pretty awesome" He said "Never would need a broom to get anywhere, plus if I was having an argument with someone, I could just be like _bam! _Wings of Fire. Whutchoo gunna do about it. You can't argue with wings of fire, Luna. It just can't be done...

* * *

><p>Allen had never been so grateful for the Tournament as he was in that semester- the lack of exams was taking a great deal of pressure off him, though the tournament, to be fair, was making up for it- He, Ron and Hermione were spending most of their spare time helping Harry to train for the next task- whatever it was. Allen of course found this rather beneficial as the spells were just as useful for him, but between that, his articles for 'The Quibbler', helping Hermione with SPEW (then sneaking around behind her back to remove the hidden clothes from the unsuspecting house elves) and her Rita-hunting plus his nightly escapades he had very little time to himself. The Order appeared to have disapeared off the face of the earth- probably due to the fact that the Earl was now hunting down their generals however this was causing some issues as the numbers of Akuma were increasing rather rapidly and now there were fewer exorcists so the responsibility fell to him. His Christmas present from Hermione seemed to be permanently wavering between orange and red, resulting in periodic lectures from her about the importance of sleep till eventually he snapped and pointed out to her that in her third year, she had been just as reckless, using the timeturner to attend every class on the timetable after which she- rather sheepishly- fell silent.<p>

* * *

><p>Miles away, Tiedoll wondered dreamily through the sleepy town of 'Little Hangleton' noting down as he went scenes he would like to paint. He was taking a break from innocenc- hunting to investigate the had started to move and he was beginning to get a little nervous. His friend and colleague General Yeeger and been attacked and now that the Noah family was starting to reappear, it seemed that their reprieve was over and the true battle was beginning. With that in mind, Tiedoll had begun to follow any mentions he had heard of the Noah family. Only a few weeks back, there had been reports to the police of a suspicious character in the town, fitting the description of a Noah who had displayed some interest in an old deserted house just outside of the village. Tiedoll wondered as he made his way through the streets how his adorable little students were doing. They were probably rather irritated that he was dodging them but he really <em>really <em>didn't want to go back to the order. Their whole philosophy just rankled him and though he knew he couldn't cut off all ties, he certainly could avoid contact where possible. It was doubtless that they were sending adorable little Yuu and Marie and Daishya after him at this very moment in time however, he had more important things to worry about. Like what the Noah could possibly be interested in in this small, sleepy English village. There was certainly no sign innocence that he could see and there seemed very little else of interest. Come to think of it, many of the places they had been spotted recently seemed to have nothing to do with innocence- just a few months back he was pretty sure the one they called 'Skin Bolic' had been spotted in Albania. Exactly what it was the Noah were up to, he really didn't know. It almost made him wish he had Cross with him. That man may be a sorry excuse for a human being however, he did have a brain in his head and he was much better at following the twisted thinking of their enemies than Tiedoll was. He sighed and scratched his head, he guessed he may as well investigate the house himself- there were murmurs of it being haunted. Perhaps innocence was involved after all however as he made his way to the house, the sky began to darken. An eery silence fell over the countryside and the temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees. Shivering slightly, Tiedoll pulled his coat closer around him and ducked his head against the driving wind. A storm must be coming he thought sadly to himself- he wouldn't get a chance to paint after all and he trudged on to the mansion on top of the hill, not thinking to look back at the sky which was rapidly darkening- not as a result from gathering clouds, but rather streams of Akuma, their bloated bodies blocking out the sun and plunging the surroundings into darkness.

* * *

><p>Allen leant over and placed another slip of parchment to a pile under the heading 'Igor Karkaroff'. With the third task approaching so quickly, he was feeling more and more concerned about Harry's safety. The Triwizard task once again was surrounded by a cloud of mystery but he just had a gut feeling that something was going to happen- this was the last remaining opportunity whoever had put Harry's name in the cup had to do whatever it was they had planned. After hearing what Sirius had told them about Igor's history, he had gone on an espionage mission. Being the adopted child of Dumbledore did have some perks, he had crept up to the Headmaster's office the previous night and 'accidentally' made some copies of files he had 'stumbled upon'. He now knew all about Igor's past as a Death Eater and after adding the information to his file, he folded it up and put it away. Igor was a coward and there was no chance that he would risk so much to get back in with the Death Eaters. For one thing, he was as terrified as everyone else seemed to be of Dumbledore and for another, it was incredibly unlikely that he would ever be accepted into the fold again even if he did bring them Harry Potter. He had ratted too many of them out and besides, there was no real reason that he should suddenly turn back to his old ways, especially considering the cushy life he had now. Madame Maxime was a dead end too- no known affiliation to any Dark Art groups. He'd had a quick glance through the student files too but so far there had only been petty crimes and the usual teen blow-outs. Mostly from the Durmstrang group but so far there was nothing serious enough to cause concern. He had a file open on Barty Crouch too however it was just as confusing- the man followed rules religiously and he hadn't even bent his morals for his family so it made no sense that he was involved with the case however Harry had been certain that he had seen Crouch's name on the Maurader's map and the man was undoubtedly acting very strangely. It was the only file Allen had left and the man certainly would have all the opportunity he needed to enter Harry in for the Tournement but motive…<p>

What could possibly have made someone so obsessed with following every letter of the law turn so drastically? and what could explain the complete change in personality… work ethic… and that weird incident with Harry in the forbidden forest…

He sat for a long time, flicking back through the files he had already looked at, through some of the other suspicious Ministry officials linked with the Tournament but none of them seemed to fit. He sighed in frustration and began to clear everything up when a thought came to him.

His very first lesson with Mad-Eye Moody...

A spell, that could completely control someone, force them to obey your every command, it would certainly explain Mr. Crouch's complete 180. It would even explain his strange behaviour concerning Harry- perhaps he had momentarily broken it. Though that just raised the concerns even higher around Mr. Crouch's disappearance. If he had broken the imperius spell, perhaps whoever had cast it decided to get rid of him in case it happened again. Unfortunately though that just expanded the field of suspects exponentially- enchanting Mr Crouch would give the access needed to the Goblet of Fire meaning anyone could be behind it.

He gathered all the papers up and stuffed them in his bag deciding to call it a day, settling back a bit further into the armchair, he curled his legs in underneath himself and pulled out one of the old books on magical creatures he had borrowed from the library. Settling down he began to flick through the pages lazily, letting the crackling fire lull him into a sleepy stupor. The book was focussed on the process of classification of dangerous magical creatures and had some pretty gruesome tales of ministry officials being mauled or otherwise disembowelled by all sorts of creepy creatures. His attention was caught by a small excerpt at the bottom of one of the pages

"_Alastor Moody, Harold Swinning and Beatrice Newton were sent to investigate strange incidents in the southern region of England where the Elphick family mysteriously disappeared, the third in a series of disappearances over a period of 3 years that included both the Fancourt and Sakndenberg family. A number of possibilities were considered, however the investigation was inconclusive"_

Allen sat up suddenly, and scrambled through his bag, searching for.. yes! The Fancourt's… the Sakndenberg's and the Elphic's… those were among the families mentioned in the story that Luna had found whose disappearances had been linked to Akuma attacks. He wondered why Moody had never mentioned it before- that would definitely help with his article, a Teacher's and an Auror's opinion would be much more convincing than the word of a student. He was half-way out of his seat to go find Dumbledore when he noticed the time on the clock resting above the fireplace- 2.30am

Probably _not _a good idea then. He tore a length of parchment off the end of a scroll and scribbled his suspicions down then charmed it to fly over to Dumbledore's office before making his way- yawning- to his bed.

* * *

><p>Allen impatiently waited for Moody's lesson on the benefits and draw backs of the conjunctivitis curse to end- he wasn't the only one not paying proper attention either. Harry was practicing over and over again the wand movements for the spells they had been teaching him, he seemed oddly calm considering what was coming, but then again, he had always worked well under pressure, Allen just hoped that the task would be all he was facing and not some crazy death eater- though he guessed, now that Crouch was missing, the crazy death eater no longer had his puppet and there was no way anyone would be able to sneak into the school, security had reached a whole new level of crazy with the goings-on at the school so maybe everything would be fine… still. He couldn't help but feel worried for Harry, beginning to understand now a little of what Hermione had meant in her rant to him earlier that year. Finally the bell rang and Allen hung back as the student body poured out of the classroom. He approached the teachers desk trepidously<p>

"What do you want, boy" Moody growled

"Lookin' for extra work?" He snickered at his own joke, stumped over to his chair, lowering himself into it heavily

"Ah, no sir, actually, I was wondering if you could help me out, I'm sure you know by now that Dumbledore and I have been speaking to the ministry regarding Akuma, I was hoping you perhaps would have some useful information about them"

Moddy eyed him curiously

"I worked as an Auror boy, not as one of those Magical Creature nut-cases. Never came across an Akuma in my life. Sorry I couldn't be of more help" He shrugged one shoulder and twisted his face into what might have been an apologetical smile- Allen couldn't quite tell.

"Thanks anyway, sorry to bother you" he smiled politely and backed out of the room, he turned the corner of the corridor and dug the book out of his bag again- yes, it definitely said 'Alistor Moody' surely there couldn't be more than one wizard in the ministry by that name- it wasn't exactly common. He wavered for a moment before turning on his heel and hurrying back to the library… he had enough good-student points with Flitwick to get him off skiving one class (or so he hoped). He needed to get to the bottom of this… something was just bugging him about this whole situation and the final task was tomorrow. Something just made him worry that this was all linked somehow. He ducked past Madame Pince's desk and slipped silently through the tall bookcases to the section on the ministry. At the bottom of one of the bookcases, there was a pile of dusty untouched files, containing a record of the ministry's employee's. Tim fluttered around his head, stirring up little eddy's of dust with his wings as Allen shuffled through the piles, eventually finding all the pages with Moody's name spanning his career in the ministry-and yes, he had begun in the Magical Creature's committee before moving to the Auror's office. Why had he lied then? he felt like he was teetering on the edge of a breakthrough… tantalisingly beyond his reach. It just didn't make _sense _

however, before he could figure anything out Tim suddenly jerked and projected a report in the air in front of his face. Allen stood up, the screes of paper spilling off his lap and tumbling to the floor. He didn't even notice and just gaped at the shaky video feed that was playing showing thousands upon thousands of Akuma streaming out of the sky upon a village full of people. The image shivered and he could hear the panicked yells of the finders. There was a crash and the camera fell to the ground, the picture showing the terrified face of the finder who had been holding it for a few seconds before he crumbled into dust. Allen snatched Tim out of the air and turned, running full pelt out of the library ignoring the yells coming from Madame Pince's desk

"Tim!" He yelled as he scrambled up the staircases on his way to the seventh floor

"I need you to go, I need you to tell Dumbledore" He fell to the floor with a thud and struggled to his feet again

"Tell him where I am, tell him what happened, then tell him… tell him there's something weird about Moody tell him" He screeched to a stop beside the creepy ballerina-troll tapestry

"I don't know, I don't really know what I found just tell him… tell him somethings not right, show him what I found. Can you do that?" Tim frantically clung to Allen's shoulder, clearly figuring out that his master was planning on leaving him behind

"Look! I have no other option, I'm really sorry, please. Just do this for me. And Tim? Stay with Mai will you while I'm gone? Just… Just look out for her ok?" He could practically see the tears on Tim's face and a pang shot through his heart

"I'm really sorry" He rubbed his thumb gently over the golem's head "but I need to go. I'll be back, I promise" He ducked into the room of requirement and dug through his piles of stuff, clipping the belt from Dumbledore around his waist and attaching the black order badge he had 'borrowed' from Kanda to the front of his robes. He grabbed the broom from its corner and stared at it for a second- there was no way he would get there in time if he flew. He took a deep breath- this could get him into SO much trouble, but he had no option! He closed his eyes and concentrated hard, touching his wand to the broom, focussing on his intended destination with all his might "_Little Hangleton in 10 seconds, Little Hangelton in 10 seconds"_

"Portus" He said, the broom glowed blue and then dulled. With some trepidation, he grapsed the broom handle

"10, 9, 8…"

* * *

><p>Kanda swung his sword again, sending his illusion creatures flying towards the next onslaught of Akuma, he used the cover it brought him to duck around the back of one of the tall stone houses, pressing his back against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. It had been non stop since the morning and even <em>he <em>had his limits.

"Hey Kanda!"

He spun around in complete disbelief. There was no _way _was that irritating, good for nothing, useless, excuse-for-an-exorcist _kid _wasactually here

"So this is fun, huh?" Allen said chirpily, grinning at the pissed off wannabe samurai. Kanda mearly glared with increased venom and 'tsk'd' irritably

"How is it _you_ get here before the order" He muttered, rotating his stiff shoulder, trying to ease his aching muscles

"Oh, I don't know" Allen grinned, greatly enjoying himself "Maybe life just hates you"

"You have no idea" Kanda muttered and stood up seemingly deciding that facing Akuma was preferable to continuing the conversation

"This way" Allen said, joining him and pointing toward the town square

"We need to draw them away from the house, I met a group of the towns people and a few finders and I just led them in there" Kanda rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to strangle the irritating bean sprout with difficulty

"I'm not here to babysit a bunch of weak idiots" He spat however, he did follow Allen's lead, drawing the Akuma into the town square, not that it was very difficult. As soon as they showed their faces, the cry of '_Exorcists' _went up and hordes of Akuma converged on them. For a moment, the two were completely obscured by the bulbous bodies before Kanda's underworld creatures burst through their bodies one one side and glowing blue crosses blossomed on the bodies of the Akuma on the other side. Allen and Kanda both burst out of the sphere of Akuma, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. Allen gritted his teeth as he cut down another line descending on them from above, Kanda slicing through the Akuma converging on them from the sides.

"Oi, sprout" Kanda yelled "To your left" Allen spun around, just in time to see the building he had gathered the town people in begin to crumble

Allen gasped and- barely missing a swipe from one of the nearby Akuma, he pulled his wand from his belt and pointed it at the house "_Arresto Momentum_" he yelled desperately, trying to cut his way free of the Akuma. He ploughed his way through all the ones in his path, leaving Kanda to deal with the remains as he ran over to the building which his spell had halted mid-collapse. He levitated the bigger stones off till he eventually came to the room that the terrified people had gathered in. He cast a shield spell around the room, he was just finishing the protective charms to prevent the Akuma from seeing or hearing them when Kanda slammed down beside him on the ground

"Some help you are" He sniped

"Not that I really expect much from you, but your job isn't to protect every sorry soul you come across, its to attack and kill Akuma" He gave Allen a rather disgusted look

"Oh for goodness sake" Allen sighed struggling to control his irritation

"You're not some defenceless child! I knew that you could handle the remaining Akuma- these people on the other hand had no chance"

"What do you think you're doing anyway" Kanda asked, glancing suspiciously at the wand Allen was holding. Allen did his best not to give a snide reply and instead settled for a petty show of his skills

"Reparo" He said calmly, sweeping his wand over the crumbling brickwork and he savoured the look of shock on Kanda's face as the bricks soared up from the ground and reattached themselves to the building

"Back up there a bit will you?" He said sweetly

"Repello Inimicum… Protego Maxima" He finished the spell with a flourish and a shield shimmered momentarily around the house before it disappeared. Kanda squinted at the building suspiciously

"What did you do to it?" He growled, clearly irritated at having to even ask "It looks weird now"

"Its a protection charm" Allen said simply "Should stop the Akuma from noticing it. You and I will be able to see it, as we know where it is but it should stop another attack. Plus now we have somewhere to shelter if we need to" Kanda glared suspiciously at him

"How?" He grunted

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" Allen laughed "Heads up, incoming" he nodded behind Kanda to another line of Akuma who had spotted them

"Shall we?" He grinned and Kanda shot him a smirk before sweeping past him

"Try to keep up, short-stack"

* * *

><p>The Earl grinned manically at the recent footage they had of Tiedol- this one wouldnt get away from him! Deciding not to take any chances, he sent Tyki along with Lero who was currently whizzing around, sending data from the town to the Earl. He passed over the town's graveyard when lights and buzzers burst into life across the screen<p>

"Interesting" The Earl grinned leaning closer into the screen

"And what do we have going on here"

Seconds later, a small rat-like man scurried across the screen and the Earl sat bolt upright in his seat. He recognised that slimy little hairball from Voldemorts enterage- that combined with the impressively high levels of dark magic could only mean one thing. That pain-in-the-backside of a wizard was alive- and was regaining his body. He had _known _something was up! The arms of his chair splintered under his grip and the giant grin grew manic but all of a sudden, he sank back in his chair, his grip loosening. He knew what to do, it worked out perfectly actually. He needed to get a hold of Tiedol anyway and he had grown tiered of dealing with things in secret. It was about time to show the world what he was made of- his army was already more than big enough and why not show the order the full extent of his powers while drawing as much attention as possible to the scene of Volemorts come back. Yes, this would work out quite nicely...

* * *

><p>Almost two hours later, Allen burst through the door of their new safe house and crumpled to the floor. He gulped deep breaths of air in trying to slow his hammering heart<p>

"Tch. Weakling" Kanda snarked, shooting Allen a rather superior look which probably would have been a lot more effective if he hadn't looked half-dead himself. His hair was hanging out of the pony tail and was sticking out at odd angles. Allen just rolled his eyes, unable to form any sort of coherent reply as his lungs seemed unwilling to function. Eventually, he managed to get enough energy gathered to sit up. He dragged himself over to one of the walls and using it as support he dug through his belt, pulling stacks of cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs out, pleased that he had thought to fill it up with the remainders of his Christmas candy stash rather than gorge on it as he had been so sorely tempted to do. Kanda shook his head in disgust as Allen shovelled the sugary treats into his mouth, pausing every now and again to cast a 'gemini' charm to multiply the food. Once the sugar kicked in, he stopped feeling so shaky and gathered all his supplies together and multiplied them before slipping out of the room and handing them around the survivors and remaining finders who were posed at every window at the ready for any Akuma who wondered too close to the building. He half considered offering some to Kanda but remembered the guys weird obsession with Soba and decided not to risk his wrath by offering sugary treats

"Hey, that looks pretty serious" He said gesturing to a large gash down Kanda's side

"Yeah, but as I am not a 5 year old _girl" _he shot a pointed look at Allen "so I'm sucking it up"

Allen raised an eyebrow unimpressed and pulled his medicine chest out of Dumbledore's belt and flipped open the lid.

"Here" He pulled out the small vial of 'E_ssence of Dittany' _and lent over to apply it to the wound but Kanda slapped his hand away

"Do you take me for an idiot?" he snarled "I'm not letting you touch me" Allen sighed and rolled up his sleeve revealing a shallower cut. He applied a few drops to the wound and held out his arm for Kanda to inspect. He grunted as he saw the skin seal up over the wound and- rather reluctantly- removed the protective arm he had over his wound. Allen squeezed a few dropper-full's of the liquid over the wound and bit back a snarky comment, settling instead for an I-told-you-so look as the wound sealed up. Kanda glared moodily in the opposite direction, pretending not to notice.

"You know" Allen said, packing the vials away again "A simple 'thank you' would suffice" Kanda swiped his still-sheathed Mugen at Allen as an answer, grinning in satisfaction as it connected painfully with his ribs. Allen crumpled to the ground, moaning pitifully. Kanda very deliberately stepped on him as he made his way over to the window again

Allen joined him and looked out at the sky still thick with Akuma

"I can't believe how many there are" He said, his expression sad as he stared out across the burning, destroyed town crawling with Akuma

"Where did they all come from?" He turned to face Kanda

"Is this what the Earl meant by setting the stage for the next act?"

Kanda glowered at him again but obviously decided that he couldn't really take offence to that question

"He's been amassing an army while we've been trying to find accommodators. Unfortunately human weakness is much more common than human accommodators so here we are hopelessly outnumbered in a battle for the world" The flames of small fires in the town flared up and the flickering light they threw out lit his face. He turned to face Allen, his eyes blazing with their red light

"This is why when given the choice, you protect your fellow exorcists- finders are replaceable, humans are replaceable but accommodators? We are not. Your purpose is to protect you're comrades and destroy Akuma not to risk your life for every bleeding heart you pass- its pure selfishness. The innocence chose you- for whatever reason- and now you have an obligation to live, to live to destroy as many of the Akuma as possible. If you die, you should die fighting the Earl as part of the Black Order, not sneaking around on some suicide mission to protect humans" His voice grew louder as he said this and Allen was rather shocked by the passion in his voice- he had never really seen Kanda get so worked up about anything nor had he even been aware that he was capable of such complex emotions as pride and duty

"I am sorry" He said fixing his grey eyes on Kanda's cobalt ones, trying to convey his sincerity "I understand what you're saying and I'm sorry I haven't joined up with the order before- I know its not a great excuse but one of the reasons I haven't joined up until now is that I have been training- that thing I did, it was magic, I've been learning how to use it properly but I promise, I have never forgotten what my true purpose in life is- I am an exorcist above all. I know that we are hopelessly outnumbered and of course I would protect my fellow exorcists to my very last breath but humans and finders matter too"

Kanda tsk'd again at this and muttered something that sounded like 'naive little child' under his breath. Allen sighed

"It's true" He insisted rather more forcefully

"What would be the point in saving this world if there were no humans left? They are what we are fighting for so of course we should protect them! Besides, the way you speak about destroying Akuma, its like you think we kill them or something- every time you destroy an Akuma, you set the human soul within it free to pass on, so even you protect and save humans, for all your grumpiness" He smiled teasingly at Kanda and was slightly taken aback by his companions expression of shock

"What do you mean 'save' them?" He asked, his voice sounding rather odd. Allen was slightly surprised by Kanda's confusion- surely, surely he didn't believe that when he destroyed Akuma, he was simply killing them? There was no way the order would let their exorcists believe that! I mean, how could you live, thinking that every time you destroyed an Akuma you killed the human soul within it. A horrible feeling swept over him as he contemplated the thought of believing the only way to save the world was to kill innocent humans made into Akuma through no fault of their own- no wonder Kanda was so scathing of humans, no wonder he seemed uncaring. How could you care and still do that?

"Kanda" He said rather more gently "I can see the souls of Akuma with my cursed eye. Every time we destroy the Akuma body, the soul contained within its released and allowed to pass on to paradise, I see it every time. They do not die" Kanda stared at him for a while as if trying to figure out if he was lying before muttering

"Whatever" and walking over to the other side of the room and curling up

"You should get some rest too" He said

"We'll head out in 2 hours"

Allen however remained at the window staring out into the darkness. He could see in the windows reflection that Kanda's eyes too remained open, his expression blank and unreadable.

* * *

><p>Allen had sunk into a doze his eyes half-lidded and his cheek squashed up against the window pane. He jerked awake with a start when a golden light flared up across the sky. Kanda noticed to and leapt up from his position on the floor. He nodded to Allen and the two exited the house and headed toward the light, trying to avoid the roaming packs of Akuma as they went. It didn't take long to reach the edge of the town. Allen and Kanda stood at the top of a grassy slope which led down to what looked like a bleak grave-yard however that was not what was attracting Allen's attention- he was gaping up at the golden cage suspended impossible in mid air holding his best friend and Voldemort. Completely throwing caution to the wind and abandoning all pretence of subterfuge Allen screamed<p>

"HARRY!"

* * *

><p>Harry's arm trembled as he tried to maintain his grip on the shaking wand. He had absolutely no idea what was going on- never in his life had he even heard of magic like this. Running purely on instinct, he concentrated with all his might on the small beads that were wavering up and down the beams of light connecting him and Voldemort. Behind them small lights flickered in the village- Harry had no idea what was happening there either, at first he had thought Voldemort and his cronies had set fires purely for fun- like they had at the World Cup but Voldemort had cursed and said something about an 'Interfering Earl'. He however didn't figure out why the name 'Earl' sounded so familiar until he heard a very familiar voice call his name. Despite himself, he took his eyes off the wavering lights emitting from his wand. His wand vibrated violently as he did so and he immediately whipped his head back round but he had already seen the last person he expected to illuminated in the golden glow of the weird cage that incased him<p>

"Allen?" He called his voice unnaturally high "What are you doing? Get away" panic started to rise in his stomach. Allen couldn't die too, he just couldn't. Not another Cedric.

"Allen?" He glanced quickly up but his friend was still standing there, an expression of shock on his face

"What should we do my Lord?" One of the nearby death eaters... Avery he thought called

Harry trembled in trepidation and the words he most dreaded came from Voldemort's mouth

"Kill him" he hissed venomously his snake like eyes narrowed in concentration. The small beads of light leapt down the line connecting the two wizards and Harry barely managed to stop them before they connected with the end of his wand which was now trembling even more violently and emitting tremendous heat. A bead of sweat rolled down Harry's forehead as he focussed all his energy on those small beads of light, the same mantra playing over and over in his head

'please let him be ok, please let him be ok...'

There was a loud curse from one of the Death Eaters and an explosion. This time it was Voldemort who glanced away and Harry was able to force the beads a few more inches away from his wand

"Put up a barrier you fools" Voldemort shrieked, fury in his eyes

"Don't let those things anywhere near me"

Harry glared at the beads of light, willing them to move- a feeling of relief blossoming in his chest. Allen was alright. If anything had happened, Voldemort would be crowing his victory over him right now and if a barrier was being put up they wouldn't be able to cast any spells at him. Voldemort seemed to notice the relief in Harry's face and his new found resolution

"I wouldn't be so pleased" He spat halting the procession of the beads

"That boy is as good as dead now, the only difference his death will be

slow and painful unlike the swift death of Avada Kedavra"

* * *

><p>Allen's eyes widened as the death eaters all raised their wands simultaneously. Acting purely on impulse, he tackled Kanda to the ground and threw up a barrier around them. It shattered under the force of the spells but thankfully did its job. Allen twisted around and summoned another barrier as he and Kanda scrambled backwards. There was a loud noise and the ground beside them exploded, showering them with dirt and grass. Allen, thinking it was a spell, turned in the direction of the graveyard to see the Death Eaters backing up with looks of fear on their faces casting a large protective barrier, which shimmered iridescently with power. It dawned on him what the explosion must then have been when something collided painfully with his shoulder. Allen let out a yell of pain and stumbled forward. A level two had obviously come to investigate the noise and now seemed overjoyed at finding the two exorcists. Kanda was already engaging it in a fierce fight however he was struggling. The Akuma was some-what cat like, with long sharp claws that he seemed to have the ability to shoot like javelins and regrow. Allen gritted his teeth and drew the long spike of metal out of his shoulder before joining Kanda in the sky. The blades seemed to be everywhere at once and both Allen and Kanda were forced into defensive roles, barely managing to keep its claws from them. Allen's shoulder throbbed painfully with each blow and blood started to soak through his robes. Kanda too gained some cuts but they sealed themselves relatively quickly. Sending a quick glance to Allen, he nodded slightly. Allen then backed up slightly and transformed his arm into its gun form, launching a barrage bullets. The Akuma screamed as the golden globes of light collided with its body- it swiped furiously at Allen- who just barely escaped the razor points. Kanda grinned and pointed his katana at the Akuma's exposed back "Second Illusion: Underworld Creatures" He intoned. The creatures collided with the Akuma and it was blown forward, catching Allen by surprise and knocking him out of the sky. It let out an unearthly screech and turned to Kanda<p>

"Do you really think you can beat me with such a weak attack?" It snarled, moving faster than Kanda's eyes could register. It appeared before him in a split second

"My move" It hissed, viciously driving its claws into Kanda's abdomen

"The Earl will be pleased with me" it snickered as Kanda clutched the claws, gasping in pain as he tried to pull them out of his body to free himself from its grasp. The Akuma's laugh grew louder but turned into a shriek as Allen reappeared by his side and sliced through the claws, releasing Kanda from its grasp. He drove his gun into the Akuma's belly and shot a quick succession of bullets. The Akuma seemed to glow and swell as its body filled with the power from the bullets. Its eyes bulged in shock

"Cursed exorcist" It yelled, embracing Allen, its claws slicing into his back

"If I must die, you are coming with me!" Its grip grew tighter but it was too late. Allen's bullets blasted a hole strait through its middle and he smiled weakly as the spirit of a middle-aged woman was released from its cage. His vision flickered slightly and he fell from the sky, catching a brief glimpse of another stream of level ones pouring in from the town. He landed painfully on the rubble scattered on the ground beneath him. Summoning all his energy, he crawled over to Kanda's innate body, the rocks and rubble cutting into his knees and hands as he tried to keep as low to the ground as possible. His hand slipped on some loose pebbles and he tumbled down a small hill to where Kanda had fallen. He lay frozen briefly, his eyes fixed on the sky- breath completely driven out of his body when his cursed eye started freaking out, as one of the akuma spotted him. Jerking into action, he threw himself over Kanda, who groaned in pain as Allen jogged his body then cried out again as a barrage of bullets collided with Allen back causing his arms to gave way and he fell heavily on top of him . Allen twisted around and shot the Akuma out of the sky, using the cover their explosions gave him to scramble over to a nearby, half-destroyed building, doing his best not to jog the three spikes still sticking out of Kanda's abdomen as he dragged him along. He gingerly ducked through a hole in the door, avoiding the jagged edges of the wood and heaved Kanda through then lay slumped on the floor breathing heavily the light shining through the door flickering as Akuma passed by. Kanda sat up with some considerable effort and slumped against one of the crates that littered the floor

"Don't suppose you've got a couple plasters or something" He slurred, his eyes flickering as he struggled to maintain consciousness. Allen pulled himself together and joined Kanda, his breathing still laboured his hands trembling slightly as he cut the material away from the incision sites. Kanda turned a faintly green colour and closed his eyes, swallowing hard thankfully not seeing Allen pull out his wand and touch the tip to the first spike empaling his abdomen. Allen closed his eyes, trying to ignore the ringing in his ears as he tried to recall the third chapter of 'Healer's Helpmate'. He took a deep calming breath and began to cauterise the first puncture site. It took about three times as long as it should have but eventually he had sealed up the blood vessels and the holes in the organs the claw had pierced. He gently eased the claw out and washed the incision site with a few of the healing potions before beginning the laborious process of re-joining the arteries and organs. He repeated this process with the next two. Kanda regained consciousness about half way through healing the second one

"Urgh" he groaned, pulling a face

"That feels awful- how are you doing that"

"Told you" Allen answered shortly, deciding to prioritise the healing over politeness

"Magic"

Kanda asked another question but the buzzing in Allen's ears grew even louder and he just shook his head, pressing his hand to his mouth as he tried to hold back a wave of nausea that swept over him. He just finished up with the last incision when the whole world swung violently and the floor seemed to leap up, colliding painfully with his head.

* * *

><p>Kanda caught the white-haired boy as his eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the ground. He gently rolled him over onto his stomach, his hands sticky with Allen's blood. He peeled the blood soaked robe off Allen's back and pulled a face at the many lacerations across the young boy's body. Clutching his own abdomen, he limped over to the back of the building which- as it turned out- was a small grocery shop. He grabbed a few water bottles and medical supplies from the back of the shot and sank down beside Allen, hissing in pain as the newly healed muscles complained loudly.<p>

Allen's eyes flickered open and he blinked rapidly as the room slowly came into focus. He frowned in confusion as Kanda flitted in and out of his vision, his brain slowly rebooting as he began to make sense of the scene.

"Hey" He rasped, his throat bone-dry

"The orange potion. Put a few drops in water. Pout it on the worst cuts. Don't get any on your hands though."

Kanda lifted up the small glass bottle and frowned at it

"Why can't I get any on my hands?" He asked suspiciously. Allen just shook his head, nausea rising again

"Just do it please. Losing blood here" He laughed weakly, starting to feel rather giddy. Kanda rolled his eyes and added a few drops of the thick liquid to one of the bottles and shook it. The water turned a violent shade of orange and the plastic grew warm under his grasp

"Allen" He asked, rather cautiously "Exactly what will this do?" Allen's face was even paler than usual and a sickly sheen of sweat covered his brow

"It'll cauterise the wound. Stop the bleeding. Too out of it to use magic. Just… just do it quickly ok?" He shut his eyes tight and tensed up in preparation for pain. Kanda shook his head in confusion and poured the liquid over the deepest cuts across Allen's back from the Akuma's deadly embrace. He yelped in shock and fell backwards as smoke billowed up from where the liquid landed and Allen let out a muffled scream of pain- having covered his own mouth with his hand

"What the heck did that do?" Kanda yelled waving the smoke away. Allen couldn't respond at all- barely clinging on to consciousness as it was but as the smoke cleared, Kanda could see for himself what the potion had done. The cuts- they were no longer bleeding and actually looked a few days old and had scabbed over slightly. Allen rolled over onto his site and retched violently, but didn't manage to bring anything up. He groaned and stumbled away from the blood-soaked patch of ground he had been lying on

"Its an exothermic potion" He explained horsely, grabbing one of the unopened bottles of water "Seals wounds with heat" He gave up trying to twist the lid off and offered it to Kanda who- surprisingly- didn't even make a snarky comment and just opened it and handed it back. He glowered moodily at Allen to make up for it

"We're equal now" He muttered and snatched his golem out of the air, moving further back into the shop to contact the other exorcists. Allen downed about half the water in one go and promptly threw it all back up again. Groaning, he moved again further back into the shop and drank the rest of the water more slowly, after adding a few drops of the 'blood replenishing' potion. That seemed to do the trick and the nausea began to fade away, the rushing noise in his ears fading too. He could hear Kanda in the background

"Marie, Daysha, I'm fine- held up on the outskirts of the town. Walker is here too"

Allen tuned him out again, turning to something much more interesting- food! He didn't think he had ever felt this hungry in his entire life and he was shut inside a grocery shop! He indiscriminately began shovelling food into his mouth, his body seeming to burn through it as soon as he swallowed it- he began to feel distinctly less weak and shaky as his blood sugar levels reached an almost normal level. He was just finishing off his fourth baguette when his brain finally kicked in- Harry! He scrambled to his feet and ran to one of the windows. The golden cage had disappeared from the sky and the graveyard was now almost completely hidden in the darkness. He couldn't see anything! He turned and made for the door but he had barely moved more than a few steps when something solid collided with him and he hit the ground painfully

"What do you think you are doing Baka?" Kanda snarled

"We are surrounded by Akuma and you are barely able to stand, let alone fight"

"Get off" Allen shouted, his voice muffled under Kanda's arm

"Harry- I have to go help him" He struggled fruitlessly against Kanda's grapes

"There's no one out there" Kanda retorted, tightening his grip and glaring at the irritating teen

"He might be hurt! Or dead" Allen chocked out "Please! I need to go, I might be able to help. He is my friend Kanda. _Please- _that man he was up against- he is one of the most dangerous wizards in the world- I have to do something- he is my _friend" _He stopped struggling and fixed his blazing gaze on Kanda, Kanda's gaze however did not waver at all

"Look, baka, even if he is there, there is nothing you can do. If he really is your friend I'm sure he'd want you to protect yourself or whatever" He seemed to struggle to get the words out- clearly not enjoying actually helping Allen

"Look" He sighed irritably "do whatever you want ok? Just remember, there are more lives rely on you than just that one" He released Allan's arm and returned to the golem in the back of the shop and Allen sank to the floor, trembling slightly, dearly wishing that Kanda hadn't just made so much sense. He dragged a few of the food crates over to the window and settled down on the sill, peering out across the dark graveyard. Where had Harry gone?

* * *

><p>Harry, was currently slumped in one of the chairs in Dumbledore's office, his face pale. He had no idea if Allen had survived the attack and he was unable to get the image of Cedric's sobbing father clutching his son's dead body out of his head. He was utterly exhausted but his mind just wouldn't shut up and now he had to relive the whole the experience over again. Fawks' heavy weight was warm and comforting against his legs and he absentmindedly petted the bird<p>

"Let him have a sleep" Sirius pleaded with Dumbledore

"Let him rest"

Harry felt affection for his Godfather flood through him but he knew that he had no choice. Dumbledore gently but firmly pushed the point and Harry eventually conceded. Memories flooded back as vividly as if it was happening all over again- the shimmering surface of the potion, for foreboding shadowy figures of the Death Eaters, Cedric's unmoving body, Allen, screaming his name from across the graveyard, the terrible explosion. Somehow speaking about these horrible visions out loud seemed to diminish them slightly- they seemed as he spoke them aloud- more and more like a story, like something that had happened to another unfortunate boy called Harry. Both Dumbledore and Sirius seemed shocked when Harry told them about Voldemort taking his blood and Harry thought for a moment that Dumbledore looked rather triumphant when he told him about Wormtail putting it into the potion. He couldn't vocalise the terrible experience of seeing Cedric and his parents spew out of Voldemort's wand though- despite his best attempts to do so and Dumbledore thankfully filled that part of the story in for him, figuring out somehow that Harry's wand had forced its brother to regurgitate the spells it had cast.

"I saw Allen there though" Harry said trying to smooth over the akward moment and fob off any further questions- Sirius had gone white as a sheet when Dumbledore mentioned James

"He was attacked sir, there was one of those Akuma creatures- what was he doing there?"

Dumbledore sighed slightly and looked older than ever

"I got a message from Timcampy- I'm afraid more was going on tonight than Voldemort's return. It appears that the Earl decided to take this opportunity to showcase his power- in my opinion in was an attempt to bring attention to Voldemort's return but that is all conjunction. Allen left to go save as many people as possible- I am afraid he has yet to return" He frowned and looked rather worried

"I would not be overly concerned, Allen does know how to handle himself however... it has been a few days- he disappeared before you went on your final task. He really should have made contact by now"

Harry suddenly remembered something- he knew Allen had gone before his final task, he remembered being rather irritated that he had gone on a mission rather than see Harry to his final task. He was regretting that now

"Tim's not with Allen, sir" He said as Sirius helped him to his feet

"He's with Mai- I went looking for Allen before my task and saw him there" Dumbledore frowned in confusion

"What on earth is he doing there?"

"Oh" Harry yawned "Allen was all stressed about some prophesy Trewlany made about the one he loved being harmed or something. Probably wanted her protected"

He stumbled through to the hospital bed, eternally grateful to Dumbledore for fobbing off Mrs Weasly's advances and allowing Sirius to stay. He swallowed the potion Madame Pomfrey offered him and drifted off almost immediately into a mercifully dreamless sleep. Dumbledore strode past Harry's bedinto the small nursery where- sure enough- the little gold golem was hovering above Mai's bed. As soon as Dumbledore entered the room it flapped excitedly over to him but after flying around him three ties and realising Allen wasn't hiding anywhere, it slumped down onto the back of a chair

"I know you have your orders" Dumbledore said gently to the small creature

"But I swear to you we will protect Mai in your absence. Your master needs you Tim" The golden golem practically bounced off the chair flew twice quickly around Dumbledore's head before rocketing out the window at a powerful speed

* * *

><p>Allen, Lavi and Lenalee stood, staring in disbelief at the rows upon rows of white coffins that lined the streets of the small town. Kanda had disappeared off with Marie and Tiedol to mourn Daysha's death. Lavi and Lenalee had arrived not long after Allen and Kanda's encounter with the level two but they had been too late to save anyone<p>

"I just can't believe it" Lenalee said hollowly

"It doesn't seem real"

Allen reached out and put an arm around her shoulders unable to think of anything to say. Lavi sat down beside them and sighed heavily

"6 exorcists are dead too" He shook his head

"Akuma in numbers like that... its really starting to kick off now"

Allen hummed in agreement and glanced up at Lavi- unused to his being so serious. All the childish glee seemed to have disappeared from his face and he looked oddly old as he looked across the devastation of the battle

"Things are getting serious- now the true war begins. I really hope you don't hold this against me Allen" He said, sounding truly genuine. Before Allen could ask what he meant, Lavi clipped the familiar black collar around his neck and slipped the bracelet over his wrist. Allen groaned and dropped his head onto his knees

"Really? Again?" He asked in exasperation

"I'm afraid so" Lavi shrugged "We need to track down Cross and your the only link we have to him- considering how hard you are to get a hold of this is the only way we can guarantee your compliance. Its been upgraded since last time too so you wont escape so easily"

"I would have helped without this you know" Allen said, seriously "But as for tracking down Cross, I'm not going to be any use at all to you- I have no idea where he is"

"You don't need to" Lavi said, glancing up at the sky "Your golem was originally build by Cross and can track him down. Where is he anyway?"

Allen let out an internal breath of relief- it was a good thing he had left Tim with Mai after all, he knew Cross would not be happy with the order tracking him down and Allen knew (or rather, hoped) that the reason he was avoiding them was because he knew some secret way they could defeate the Earl and he needed to be free of the order to do it so the more he could delay the search, the better

"I'm afraid I really won't be much use to you at all then... you see, I don't have Timcampy with me"


	44. Chapter 44

**I realise that this is more than a little belated but stuff and things have been happening and I have been busy :S To make up for it, things happen! And chapter is long :D plz love me!**

**Cana99: Meh. We shall see what happens. I do hope you don't stop reading though and I cross my heart and hope to die that none of my writing will ever be anything close to x-rated**

**Shirubagure: I will do my best to write it well though its hardly without the realms of possibility. People rarely stay with their childhood sweethearts. Yay Kanda and Allen bonding time :P T'was most fun to write!**

**Will if the Abyss - AllenxRoad: Eesh, now I feel even worse about how long i made you wait for this chapter! Its even longer than the last though if that helps at all :D Yeah, I really do love winding Kanda up- he is just so easy to irritate and his reactions are so darn cute! (man I sound like Lavi...). Looking forward to our plan to smuggle Lavi into Hogwarts- should be fun!**

**Diavo: Urgh I know! Dubley-dore can do some rather silly things but at least Allen will get his beloved pet back... right?**

**Ennael: Heh... so I may have made you wait a little for this chapter... and I may have done another cliffhanger... but I'm back! yay... right? Book 5 shall be fun- Allen will be there for a significant portion of it and there will be Allen x Umbridge showdowns! It'll be magical :P**

**DeeRoseWalker: Yeah, Yullen is my kryptonite too but it just didn't work with this story :/ But of course Crown Clown and Neah will appear! I can't write a story without my favorite characters :D**

**PoisonousDemon: Lol, poor Dumbledore! He was only trying to help. I find making him do silly things rather amusing considerng how clever and together he always is**

**coronadomontes: Yeah, cramming two huge stories into one is proving more difficult than I though- especially since my plan is to have both battles at the same time- this is not going to be fun!**

**dcdc123: *sigh* good thing at least one person isn't out for my blood because of my belated posts! *hugs* Oh wait... you are! Save me from the mob! *flees* Hope you like this chapter ;)**

Allen, Lenalee and Lavi all stared at the battered military van in front of them

"Please" Lavi groaned "Please someone tell me that this is some kind of joke. Or terrible dream and that I am going to wake up and find that this ISN'T our only means of transport"

Lenalee let out something between a sob and a laugh

"Korea! Of course he was last seen in KOREA" She seized the front of Allen's jacket, her eyes wide and crazy

"Do you have any idea how far away Korea is Allen? Do you? Do you have any idea how many nights we are going to have to spend without heating and electricity and internet? I _like _my internet Allen! I really, _really_ like my internet" She sank dramatically to her knees

"Life…failing… can't… go on"

"Look, none of this is my fault!" Allen protested loudly over Lenalee's wails and Lavi's whining

"Blame my stupid master! And blame your brother" He shot at Lenalee "He's the one that said we weren't allowed to fly!"

_"Every time we have gone after Cross in the past, he has found out and disappeared before we caught up with him- he's a smart guy with access to computers and we think he is monitoring flights- he can tell when the Order books a plane and he knows all of you so there is no way we can sneak up on him that way. Now, the intel we have on his whereabouts is pretty solid and we have Allen so this time we are taking no chances. We have to go low tech. Under the radar so to speak so it is boats and cars till we reach his presumed destination."_

All three teens turned again to look at the truck. The second glance didn't improve it at all. It looked like it have travelled through several war zones- bullet holes riddled the sides and some of the bigger holes had been clumsily welded over with silver metal which stood conspicuously against the dark camouflage pattern. There were only two seats in the cabin and the canvas stretching over the back of the truck looked alarmingly flimsy. Lavi and Lenalee turned to glare at Allen again and he quailed under their furious stares

"I'm sorry!" He cried defensively "I promise this has nothing to do with me"

"Oh yeah" Lavi huffed "You with your stupid lost golem and your stupid master and your stupid ineffectual magic. Who else should we blame?"

Allen sighed. This was going to be a long and uncomfortable trip.

_"OK, we just got our report from Kanda and the finders you rescued. So, you have _magic_ you say. And you have been at a school teaching you how to hone this power for the past… 3 years?" Komui looked up at Allen in askance, his glasses perched at the end of his nose and his brow furrowed_

_"Yes" Allen sighed "I _am_ really sorry I haven't informed you of this sooner but you must understand, this is a very delicate situation, the wizarding world is trying to remain hidden from the muggle- I mean non-magical people. I and my Headmaster have been working with the ministry of magic to try and convince them to cooperate but as of yet they are reluctant to believe us and I am technically breaking about a thousand laws by even telling you that they exist." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair_

_"I am more than willing to help out where I can however… the wizarding laws are strict and well… Dumbledore can only cover for me so much. In other words, once the summer holidays are over, I must return to school. The laws are very strict about that. I cannot leave until I graduate or am expelled and well, to be honest, I think you all need my magic to help you with this war so the first option is really your best one" Komui was unwilling at first to agree but after much cajoling from Allen, he said he would 'do what he could' which didn't exactly fill Allen with confidence however it was better than nothing so he decided to let things be for now._

_"Listen" Komui said rather conspiratorially as he riffled through his desk for some papers he had lost (though how he ever found anything in that bomb site was a mystery to Allen)_

_"Would you mind… showing me some of this magic?" His eyes had lit up with a rather manic glint as the mad scientist in him bubbled to the surface. Allen shook his head and smiled apologetically_

_"You really don't want me to do that either. After that destruction in Little Haddington- well- the ministry have probably discovered my absence and even if they haven't, they will be on high alert for any unexpected magic. My wand still has the trace on it as I am under 17 so if I perform magic, they will know immediately and probably apperate here and arrest me before I can say abracadabra" _

_He spent the next 10 minutes convincing Komui that abracadabra wasn't actually a spell and only succeeded in distracting him from this topic by bringing up Lenalee (and then hurriedly assuring Koui that yes, he did have a girlfriend and he therefore didn't need to be castrated)_

"The magic wouldn't have been a huge amount of use anyway" Allen wheedled as the two of them glared bore holes into his head

"Illegal Portkeys are _incredibly _illegal and we have no floo powder and I can't dissaperate even by myself let alone with a bunch of other people. I'd probably splinch you all. And end up in the wrong place so you know this really isn't my fault."

Lavi and Lenalee stopped glaring and their angry expressions were replaced by perplexed looks of confusion

"Portkey?" Lavi repeated blankly

"Splinched?" Lenalee asked, wincing slightly at the sound of the word

Allen groaned and thumped his head gently against the side of the battered van

"We are going to have to travel in this beat up truck for weeks" He half-sobbed "Weeks! Plus we are going to _freaking Korea. And _Bookman won't let us travel up front coz he says since he and the finder are older than us, they need the extra comfort more than us"

All three of them groaned in unison. There was a long silence as they all stared despondently at the truck

"At least it isn't North Korea" Lavi said eventually with a vague note of optimism in his voice

"_It's Korea, Lavi" _Lenalee hissed venomously "Korea! As in… As in Korea!"

"Yeah but…"

"Freakin' past France, Germany, Kazakstan, RUSSIA _and_ China- Korea" Leanlee cut him off, her voice rising to a hysterical pitch

All three of the groaned again

"We are gonna die" Allen said matter of factly after another long silence

"Yup" Lenalee and Lavi chorused dully

"We are going to break down in the middle of nowhere" Lenalee sighed

"Or get cooked alive" Lavi pointed out "We have to travel through France and Belgium and Germany in _summer"_

"And then" Allen continued in an equally depressed tone "We have to travel through Ukraine and Russia and possibly Kazakstan. That means border control... lots and lots of border control"

"Unless of course they decide to go through Iran, Afghanistan and China. You know, just for kicks" Lavi chipped in

"In which case" Lenalee continued "We will get shot as well as getting cooked alive and breaking down in the middle of nowhere"

Bookman exited the hospital and matched over to the truck, two rucksacks about as big as he was slung over his shoulder. He flung them with apparent ease into the back of the truck and took a double take at the three teenagers slumped on the curb.

"What are you three doing lounging there" He snapped "We are leaving in four hours. You had better be packed"

They exchanged looks and scrambled to their feet in a flurry of action (Allen and Lavi almost fell over, getting tangled in the chain that was joining them before righting themselves and sprinting back to the hospital where all their belongings currently resided).

Three hours later the three of them reconverged in front of the truck lugging their own rucksacks behind them, Lavi and Allen bickering as they went

"I'm just saying" Allen said "You maybe should have packed some more essential stuff you know?"

"Scrabble _is _essential Allen" Lavi insisted

"Oh yeah, and I suppose Yahtzee, Uno, Monopoly, Snap, Snakes and Ladders, and Domino's are also essential" Allen countered "Did you actually pack anything useful?"

They threw their bags into the back of the truck in unison and joined Lenalee on the kerb again. She had stretched out across the pavement, the sun shimmering across her hair, bringing out the green tints. She cracked open an eye as the two boys plopped down beside her, yawned and stretched lazily, then propped herself up on her elbows, watching her friends bicker with mild amusement.

"We are going to be trapped in this stupid truck for a number of weeks- you'll thank me. I promise. Besides _you _packed a travel iron. A _travel iron_. Who packs a travel iron?" Lavi scoffed rolling his eyes at Allen

"Well excuse me if I actually care what I look like" Allen muttered grumpily ignoring Lenalee and Lavi as they sniggered at him. They three ribbed each other for a while before organising the bags into a neat pile in the corner of the trailer. They stared at the bare metal floor and benches along the side

"We have to travel in this for, like, a month" Lenalee said

"We _cannot _travel in this for a month. Come on, we still have another 40 minutes or so before we have to leave"

She grabbed Allen's sleeve and dragged him (and by proxy, Lavi) to the nearest bargain store. The two boys obediently followed Lenalee around the shop with a trolly as she dropped cushions and patterned blankets into it muttering to herself on the way about the many different ways in which she was going to punish her brother for sending them on this mission in that junk pile of a jeep. Allen and Lavi exchanged concerned looks as she grabbed a packet of superglue, tarpaulin and a cooler box.

"Err… Lenalee" Lavi began trepadously as she proceeded to add a few packets of brightly coloured beads and sequences in too

"Please bear in mind that we- two boys- have to travel in this trailer too" but she just waved a hand dismisevly at him then seemed to consider what he said and threw a couple packets of air freshener in too

"That wasn't quite what I meant" Lavi muttered moodily

"You'll thank me for this later too" she laughed, finally adding a few balls of twine and marching the two boys up to the checkout.

"Do you have any idea what all this stuff is for?" Lavi hissed to Allen as they gathered up the bags and followed Lenalee back to the jeep. Allen shook his head and shrugged and they sped up to a light jog as Bookman yelled at them to hurry. They piled into the back of the van and grabbed a hold of the only remaining leather strap hanging from the celling in order to keep balance as Bookman twiddled the wheel, swinging the truck round in a huge semi-circle and joined the traffic streaming out of the town. The first few hours of the trip were dedicated to decorating the back of the truck on Lenalee's strict orders into what was beginning to resemble a gypsy wagon. They pinned and superglued brightly coloured cushions to the hard iron benches, transforming them into sofas. Two of the blankets were strung up across the opening at the back of the trailer and tied back with a few lengths of ribbon to act as a curtain. Lavi and Allen then glued the lengths of tarpaulin over the inside of the canvas ceiling to waterproof the compartment while Lenalee bejewelled the legs of the benches and the cooler box which she sat in the middle of the trailer to act as a coffee table. The dull inside of the army vehicle was all of a sudden magically transformed. The roof was now bright blue due to the tarpaulin, the seats were a mix-match of jazzy patterns. The 'curtains' were a plain greenish colour to blend in with the camouflage on the outside of the truck and the ribbons holding the curtains open allowed the daylight to stream in, causing the bejewelled cooler box and chair legs to throw out bright coloured lights all over the trailer. Even Lavi eventually admitted (though it took some encouragement) that the trailer looked significantly better. Lenalee grinned broadly at the confession though the second she turned her back, both Allen and Lavi grabbed the glue gun and spare gems and threw them out the back of the trailer

"Now" Lavi sighed "What to do… if only someone had been thoughtful enough to bring games by which we could amuse ourself…"

"Oh shut up" Allen snapped

"SNAP" Lavi yelled slamming his hand down on the pile of cards. All three of them lunged backwards for the Yahtzee dice which was at the other end of the trailer. Allen snatched it a few seconds before Lavi and threw the dice ignoring Lenalee and Lavi's moans of disappointment, as he cackled in triumph. As he tried to score a full house, Lavi reached over and added ten tallies under his name on the scoresheet headed 'Snap the Ladder, Yahtzee!'. The rules were simple. The game began with Snap, whoever got snap first gained 10 points. They then had to race to the Yahtzee and whoever got there first gained however many points the dice gave them then all three played snakes and ladders- the dice rolls counted for points. If they landed on a ladder, the points were doubled and if they landed on a snake, the points were halved. Super simple (It was Lavi who had come up with the game, surprisingly enough)

Allen groaned as he missed the full house and went for a run of threes instead. He resignedly joined Lavi at the score sheet, adding 9 points under his name. They scrambled over to the snakes and ladders board and were about to throw the dice when the car braked to a halt at a set of traffic lights.

"GO, GO, GO!" Lenalee screamed and all three of them vaulted over the tail gate of the truck, hitting the ground simultaneously. Lavi wrapped the extra lengths of chain joining him and Allen together around his wrist and sprinted along the road with Allen by his side. They sped past the cars lined up at the traffic lights and over the half deserted crossroad. The brilliantly bright summer sun beat down on the back of their necks and lit up the corn fields at the side of the road in a glorious shade of gold. Lavi ignored the scenery surrounding them and bowed his head, concentrating on his feet pounding on the dusty road but it was no use. Lenalee streaked past them, her legs pumping so quickly they were a blur. She shot a cheeky grin back at them as she overtook and let out a whoop as she increased her lead by a not-insignificant distance.

"Oh come _on" _Lavi yelled irritably at Lenalee's back. Allen twisted around quickly to look behind them

"Bookman is coming" he shouted. He grabbed Lavi's arm and pulled him on as he sped up but Lenalee was a good 9 meters in front of them now and Bookman was through the lights and catching up quickly

"Come on, come on, come on" Allen muttered

"Argh no" He groaned as the truck pulled up beside them. Lavi turned sharply so they were both running behind the truck

"On the count of three then" He said despondently

"1…2…3" They leapt in unison and spilled painfully onto the floor of the truck. A few seconds later, Lenalee jumped in too and let out a cheer. She did a little victory dance over to the 'Stop-Light Racing' scoresheet and added another mark under her name

(The rules here were also simple. Every time the truck stopped, they leapt out of the trailer and sprinted as far as they could before bookman caught up with them again. It was a point a race- Lavi and Allen being one team as they were still connected by Komui's chain) the game had begun really to stop them all expiring from the sheer amount of pent up energy that being stuck in a metal box will produce

"So" She said dramatically "The score is currently ah… 23 points to team Lenalee and 0 points to team Laven" she hummed cheerfully to herself and danced over to the snakes and ladders game where she plopped down happily "Funny" she said as she rolled a 4 and fell down a snake "Thought I just heard a group of fangirls screaming there… never mind. Must be imagining things"

Allen and Lavi joined her at the snakes and ladders game where Allen streaked ahead claiming the snakes-and-ladders-winning prize of 50 points but Lavi, in a brilliant rush of luck got 'Yahtzee' and a royal flush then thrashed both Allen and Lenalee in snap, streaming ahead of the both of them and winning the final prize (a fun sized packet of Malteaser's) which he proceeded to eat gloatingly in front of the other two. Lenalee and Allen rolled their eyes irritably at him and pretended not to notice him, instead having a very loud conversation about the weather.

"IT'S SUNNY TODAY, ISN'T IT LENALEE?" Allen yelled as Lavi munched very loudly on his pack of malteasers

"YES INDEED ALLEN, IT IS SUNNY. THE SUN IS VERY BRIGHT AND SHINY AND HOT" Lenalee hollered back at him.

Lavi chuckled superiorly at them and- having had his fun, he crawled over to the cooler box. He pulled out the giant world map he had bought in the bargain store when Lenalee wasn't looking. He shook it out over the trailer floor, weighing the ends down with chocolate bars (from Allen's horde). Lenalee interlocked her fingers and stretched widely, yawning

"So, where are we now?" she asked curiously, leaning over the map too. Lavi trailed a finger over the map of France

"Well, we have been driving for… what, 4 hours since we left the Orders Headquarters in Paris this morning… so we should be close to the Alsace border now. No more than an hour or so I would say.

"I want lunch" Allen whined, massaging his stomach which was making a whole cacophony of strange noises

"We should be coming up to Strasbourg soon" Lenalee said consolitoraly. She got to her feet with some difficulty with the swaying of the truck. She grabbed a hold of the leather strap and stuck her head out of the back of the truck, stepping up in the tailboard so she could see over the top of the roof.

"See anything?" Lavi asked as he stuffed the map back into the box

"Come up here" She laughed, ducking her head back into the compartment, her hair mussed from the wind and eyes shining brightly. Allen and Lavi awkwardly manoeuvred their way around the chain joining them and with some difficulty they joined her. The hot summer wind whipped through their hair and cooled them down somewhat. The three grinned widely as the wind seemed to blow all the cobwebs away. They waved energetically at the drivers who passed, all giving strange looks at the military truck with three teenagers hanging out of the back trailer. A particularly bored truck driver pulled up alongside them and waved out the window

"Salut, Gosse! Qu'est-ce que tu fais? Vous pourriez tomber vous savez" **(Hey kids, what are you doing? You're going to fall if you're not careful)**

Allen smiled and waved politely

"Nous allons être très prudent, je promets monsieur. Merci beaucoup" **(We will be very careful, I promise. Thank you sir)**

The truck driver chuckled and waved his hand dismissively at them, beginning to overtake them

"J'espère que cous avez une bonne journée, monsieur" **(Hope you have a good day, Sir)**

He winced as the baked canvas began to burn his hands and he dug through his pockets for his gloves, his distraction causing him to miss the surprised look exchanged between Lavi and Lenalee. They clung on till the sun became unbearable and then they retired to the cool interior of the trailer with significant relief. About an hour later, they entered the city of Strasbourg. Bookman pulled over to the side of the road and gruffly told the teenagers that he had 'some things to take care of' and that they were to make their own way to a meeting point at the other end of the city in 4 hours. He left Lenalee with a small bundle of notes and Lavi with the threat of many painful punishments should he fail to behave himself. Lavi rolled his eyes as Bookman pulled away

"Skinflint" He scoffed

"There is barely enough money here for food for all of us. Especially considering that we have Allen with us"

Allen stuck his tongue out at Lavi but the news seemed to concern him.

"Come on" He said urgently. He marched the other two through the city, muttering to himself. Lenalee and Lavi exchanged concerned looks

"Where are we going?" Lenalee hissed to Lavi who shrugged

"Trust me" Allen said, giving them a rather scary smile. They left the main street and wandered through a few back streets before eventually walking into a dark, musty building. The sign was so decrepit that it was impossible to make out the words but Allen marched strait for the door, only stoping when the chain snapped taught. He looked back at Lavi and Lenalee who all looked slightly terrified

"Trust me" He repeated

They entered the dank and musty building. Allen muttered a few words in French to the man at the front desk, passed over a few euros and entered a large pair of double doors quilted in a dirty red velvet. Lavi and Lenalee exchanged scared looks and followed the determined strides of Allen. Allen strode up to one of the tables and smiled politely at the three men seated there

"Good afternoon gentlemen" He said smoothly bowing slightly with his hand over his heart. Lavi and Lenalee glanced at each other again- English?

One of the men, elderly and immaculately dressed turned in surprise

"My mother tongue" He exclaimed delightedly "I an very grateful to hear it- My french is quite poor I must say, despite my Eton tutors best attempts. Never did pay much attention in my studies. Tell me, what can I do for you, boy?" Allen's grin widened

An hour later and Allen's table had an audience of 20 as he swept another handful of chips towards himself, smiling politely at his opponents. The English gentlemen had folded a few rounds back and was now just sitting back, watching Allen with mild amusement. Lavi and Lenalee were sitting awkwardly behind Allen (The opponents refused to allow the two near them- so convinced were they that Allen was cheating). Allen bowed out of the game after halving his opponents chips- this was how he had left all his other opponents. He refused to clean them out, and insisted on stopping once he had halved their money in a sign of respect. The three retreated to the bar and ordered a round of cokes rather dejectedly as all their companions cradled wines and scotches in their hands.

"How'd you cheat?" Lavi asked curiously, draining his glass in one (it was ridiculously stuffy in this room)

"I was watching you and I didn't see anything. I never miss _anything_"

Allen grinned as he saw a muscle tense in his jaw. Lavi really couldn't deal with not knowing

"I didn't cheat actually" He said haughtily "I only ever cheat if my opponent cheats first. Then its only fair"

There was a cry from one of the other rooms, leading off the scruffy yet ornate room. Allen exchanged curious looks with his friends and then made his way towards the door it came from. Lavi yelped as the handcuff snapped taught. He hurried after Allen before he was knocked off his feet and Lenalee scurried after them, shooting a nervous look over her shoulder to the exit. Allen walked through the door to a significantly scruffier room. A young man with a streak of white through his hair was wailing rather pathetically

"I don't understand" He was crying to a group of three messily dressed men who chuckled dispassionately at him

"Why do I have to play this game again?" the young man cried, his naivety actually visible on his face

"Oh its traditional in France" One of the scruffy men chortled- looking very pleased with himself. They had stripped the man right down to his underwear. Allen stepped forward fluidly

"Good afternoon, gentlemen" He said, this time a note of steal in his voice

"I'll be taking over from my friend here if you don't mind" He stepped forward and sat down beside the trembling man who glanced up gratefully, tears streaming from his eyes which almost immediately lit up

"Lavi! Is that you?" He cried. Allen turned to look at Lavi who smiled in recognition

"Krory! I thought you were meeting us at the Order- Bookman is on his way to meet you"

"I was on my way" the unfortunate man sobbed "But then these men here- they told me I said something offensive in French when I was asking for directions and this was the only way to pay back my disrespect"

Allen frowned in disapproval at the three men and expertly shuffled the cards in the middle

"Is it agreeable with you that i be his substitute" He asked politely. One of the men with messy hair and large glasses grinned cockily and lent forward, taking the cards from Allen's hand and dealing them out

"Lets go, shounen"

An hour and a half later, they exited the building. Lenalee and Lavi looked rather shell shocked and Allen was grinning ear to ear, thumbing through a large pile of bills. They had left the three unfortunate men with only the clothes on their backs, though it had been a rather friendly parting actually- the leader seemed to respect Allen's ability to scam even more effectively than them. Allen ran his thumb over the cards the leader had given him- it was a nice deck and he had really beginning to miss gambling. He chuckled darkly as he stuffed the money into his pocket and both Lenalee and Lavi shuddered. Dark Allen was _freaky. _Krowry seemed starstruck by Allen and trotted behind the group, admiration shining in his eyes. They wondered into the nearest restaurants where Allen proceeded to order every meal on the menu much to the shock (and disgust) of their waiter.

"I didn't know you spoke French" Lenalee said as Allen translated the menu and ordered for them

"I don't really" Allen said shyly

"I'm not fluent or anything, I only know a few words. There was someone in one of the circuses I worked with who spoke only French so…" He tailed off and shrugged then concentrated on shovelling more food into his mouth Lenalee opened her mouth to ask another question but Lavi dunted her leg under the table and shook his head minutely. Allen's head was ducked and a light flush had spread across his cheeks. It was clear he was very self conscious about it and would rather they didn't make a big deal about it. Lenalee shot Lavi a rather confused look but went along with it and instead started ribbing Lavi about the three woman who had slapped him in the gambling bar after he tried (unsuccessfully) to flirt simultaneously with all three of them. Conversation eventually drifted off into relationships and both Lavi and Lenalee were incredibly interested in Allen- the only one to actually have a girlfriend- Krowry sunk into a state of depression so deep that he was incapable of joining in the conversation and rather blubber quietly into his quiche Lorraine

"What's she liiiiike?" Lenalee sang cheerily

"Ah, she is really quirky" Allen laughed "Like she walks around in this little world of her own and most of the time you have no idea what she is talking about or where her mind is. But she is really sweet and accepting and kind and loyal" Lenalee's eyes sparkled as she grinned

"Thats so sweet!" She chirped

"Does your heart fill with love and warmth every time you speak to her?" Lavi teased gleefully "Do birds burst out in song every time you see her face? Does her voice make you just want to listen to her speak for the rest of all eternity?"

"You know" Lenalee said in a rather surprised tone "For such a terrible flirt, you are quite the romantic"

"You know what the say" Lavi laughed "you've got to kiss a few toads…"

"What?" Lenalee snorted " Before you get your handsome prince?" Lavi thumped her shoulder causing her to burst into hysterical giggles and the waiter who was approaching with Allen's next round of food to scowl in disgust

"How hot is she?" Lavi directed to Allen, twitching his eyebrows, then yelped when Lenalee thumped him back. Hard "What!" but Allen just laughed

"Ah, its fine. I think she is anyway. She's got… like sort of dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes and she's like… super delicate, really tiny frame" He shrugged and ignored Lavi as he began to beg for more detail than he was willing to exchange.

They left a small bundle of notes on the table with a rather generous tip- Lavi hadn't really wanted them to, seeing as how the waiter had been both snooty and rude however Allen insisted

"Its hardly his fault I have the appetite of 10 rugby players. Plus we are chained together and none of us exactly look normal- that's weird enough enough to throw even the most trained waiter" He said as he replaced the notes Lavi had lifted from the table. They wondered slowly through the town, unwilling to exert any more than the minimal amount of energy possible. The sun beat down on the back of their heads, slowly sapping all of the energy out of them. Lavi was staring wide-eyed at the architecture around them and so jerked violently in shock when Allen yelled

"6 Akuma!" and followed this by transforming her arm and shooting two bullets directly over Lavi's head and one over his shoulder before Lavi even had time to catch on.

"4" He said calmly, spinning to the left and cutting down another two looming up behind Lenalee

"3,2" he continued, causing her to flitch too. He turned to take care of the one to his right but Lavi got there first, a look of defensive triumph on his face (He didn't appreciate the fact that Allen's reflexes now matched, if outstripped his own). Allen pouted slightly and returned his arm to normal, walking on as if nothing had happened. Krory cracked a smile for the first time since they had met and bit deeply into the nearest Akuma. Lenalee wrinkled her nose delicately as he drained it with relish, smacking his lips

"I was starving!" He cried delightedly "I couldn't eat a thing at that restaurant- not with thinking about… about… my dear Eliade!" He snivelled pathetically but his eyes lighted on the next Akuma and much to everyones delight, he moved on to it instead of wailing about his lost love again

"A bit of warning next time would be nice" Lavi snipped, running lightly to catch up with Allen who shrugged nonchalantly. He had always been pretty rubbish about working as part of a team, though Lavi guessed this was because he was used to fighting on his own. It wasn't that he didn't get on well with, well, pretty much everyone, it was just that- it was hard to explain- he didn't factor into his fighting style that there were other equally talented exorcists. Not that he was arrogant or that they through the shouldn't fight so well, just that he would take enormous risks or push himself to the limit forgetting that he didn't have to kill all the Akuma because Lave and Lenalee would get the ones he couldn't. To be honest, he seemed to have gotten worse since the village massacre which Lavi supposed was to be expected but now he was pushing himself far further than he really should. Lenalee and Lavi had both noticed that his arm was beginning to look very strange and they remembered what Komui had told them about parasitic type innocence- when damage was done to the innocence, as it was linked to the wielders body, it harmed them too and had to be left to heal just like a real flesh wound.

"We are pretty good fighter too ya know! Right, Lenalee?" He turned back to get conformation but Lenalee was scaling the wall of one of the buildings on their left, using the uneven brickwork and balconies as stepping stones

"Wha…?" Allen turned back too and they both craned their necks to watch her as she scrambled up onto the tiled roof. He gaped in shock as she danced lightly along the apex of the roof to where a very fat cat was flopped, baking in the sun.

"What is she… doing?" Allen asked blankly but Lavi had seen what Allen had not- something gold was glinting in the mouth of the cat. He glanced down at Allen's confused face and on impulse declined to tell him. He was looking forward to the reaction he would give if that cat really had what Lenalee thought he had in his mouth. Lenalee stroked the cat gently, causing it to rub up against her. She gently reached inside its mouth and tugged out a damp and struggling Timcanpy. Allen's jaw dropped and he gaped wordlessly at Lenalee as she climbed back down with irritating ease. Lavi grinned- it had SO been worth it. He searched Allen's face while he was distracted looking for an emotion- relief or concern. That was what he wanted to know. Was Allen happy or upset that Timcanpy was found? Did he really want Cross to be found? Or was this all a rouse, were they working together on some side project, trying to keep it hidden from the order? There were so many questions buzzing around his head but Allen's face was unreadable. He scowled internally in annoyance. He was so used to being able to figure people out but Allen… he just couldn't read him. No matter how hard her tried and it was irritating him to no end. Being left out of the loop? That happened to grunts, not to him. Not to bookmen. Lenalee landed on the ground beside them and offered the damp Tim to Allen. Allen grinned and took the golem from her, drying it off with his shirt sleeve. He gently rubbed its head with his finger, murmuring non-sensical nothings under his breath to it as he tried to wake him up. Tim stirred at the sound of his masters voice and kept into life when he saw Allen's face. He buzzed around his head frantically before settling on the top of his head, snuggling comfortably down into his hair. Allen chucked and hugged Lenalee

"Thanks!" He chirped cheerily as they turned to walk back down the street. Lavi hummed nervously under his breath. The other two turned to look at him

"What?" Lenalee asked

"Err… I don't know how to tell you guys this… but we have to meet Bookman in 20 minutes. The checkpoint is 4 miles away" A shocked silence followed this, then as one, all four of them sprinted through the town.

21 minutes later, they skidded to a halt in front of the army truck. Bookman was perched meercat-like on the bonnet of the truck, sipping a mug of green tea. He observed the teenagers in mild amusement over the top of the mug and smiled slightly as they collapsed, panting on the pavement in front of him

"Well, aren't you four in a hurry" he chuckled

"Funny, I did calculate how long it would take you to get here. I even gave you an hour leeway. I'm curious, did you crawl?" his smirk grew slightly. Lavi tsk'd impatiently but Allen seemed unable to contain his inner politeness

"I am very sorry sir" He said hurriedly

"We got rather side-tracked on our way here, went to see some of the local… ah… sights. It was entirely my fault, so we got slightly delayed. I really do apologise" Bookman sniggered at this

"Ah don't worry about it. I figure being trapped in the back of the suspension-less junk heap for weeks on end counts as punishment enough. Besides, you picked up what we came here for" He nodded towards Krory, who was significantly less out of breath than the other three- his helping of Akuma blood giving him unimaginable power much to the annoyance of his companions who were red-faced and gasping for breath

"We have something that will make up for all this" Lavi said, a grin spreading across his face. For a moment it looked as if Bookman wouldn't ask but then his curiosity got the better of him.

"What, Lavi" he snapped, the self-pleased expression disappearing from his face

"Well, on our travels, we came across something rather interesting" Lavi said, his grin widening even more. He slipped his hand into Allen's pocket and removed Timcanpy who had fallen asleep snuggled up in the corner. He held it behind his back, his smirk growing even further

"See, we were wondering up one of the side streets… I believe it was called Rou des Foulons. Had a lovely coffee shop… well we were walking along there, it really was a very pretty area…"

"Oh for heavens sake! Spit it out boy!" Bookman snapped and Lavi held the slowly stirring Timcanpy out between his thumb and forefinger, his grin now basically splitting his face in half as he gleefully watched the shock spreading across his face. Not that it would have been noticeable to any one other than him. There was just the slightest contraction of his eyebrows and the most minute frown tugging at the corners of his mouth, but it was enough for Lavi. Bookman jumped down off the hood and snatched the golem from Lavi's hand

"Get in the trunk" he grunted irritably

3 days later, and the games they were playing became even more complex- they were now half way through Poland and the temperature had dropped rather significantly. They sat snuggled in blankets around the bejewelled cooler playing a combination of snap and phase 10 (if two of the same numbers were put down in phase ten, it turned into snap (1 point) completing a phase was 1 point and winning the 10th phase was 10 points) for every snap, they got three rounds of monopoly (whoever had the most money at the end of the three turns got 1 point, whoever won the whole game of monopoly got 20 points. If someones points added up to a multiple of 5, they got to ask a have-you-ever question and if someones answer was 'yes' to the question, they got a bonus round on monopoly. The rules (shockingly enough) had once again been made by Lavi and he was having great fun keeping Allen and Lenalee right (he was also beating them hands down because every time they messed up the rules, he deducted a point)

"Ooookay" Lavi said having just reached 60 points

"Have you ever… Crossdressed?" He grinned as Lenalee stuck her tongue out at him

"I'll take that as a no" He laughed "Krory?" The man laughed and shook his head

"Allen?"

There was a long uncomfortable silence as Allen turned a deeper and deeper shade of red

"Allen?" Lenalee repeated, a smile spreading slowly across her face

"No judging okay?" He blurted, now a terrible shade of puce "I didn't have a choice!"

The other two stared expectantly at him "Spill. Now" Lavi enthused, his eyes practically sparkling

"I was in India" Allen muttered his eyes focussed on his hands which he was twisting together in embarrassment

"I may or may not have won a whole lot of money from a guy who turned out to be… ah… rather important. And rich. And powerful. And as it turns out, a very, _very _sore loser. He sent a couple people out after me and well, I am rather easy to distinguish so… ah… I may have had to resort to wearing a Chador and Sari for the rest of my trip" He refused to make eye contact with rather of the other two who were howling in laughter at him. He moaned and buried his face in his hands

"What's a Sari" Krory asked blankly

"It an indian _dress_" Lenalee snorted

"More to the point, what is a Chador?" she asked. Allen just moaned again so Lavi answered for him

"It's one of the Muslim head ware things. Covers pretty much everything but the eyes and nose. Pretty good disguise I guess. Still. Fact remains, you CROSSDRESSED!" And he and Lenalee burst out into laughter again while Allen curled up into a small ball of shame on the floor. He refused to un-curl till they promised not to laugh. Or make 'amused' eyes at each other. Or in fact make eye contact with each other at all. Eventually, after the laughing stopped being so funny and started being painful, Lenalee and Lavi stopped, clutching their aching ribs. Allen emerged, his face still pinkish and eventually they began a game of snap again

Conversation eventually wondered back to the subject of magic which Lenalee and Lavi were endlessly curious about

"What about the wand?" Lenalee asked excitedly "Is it made out of some magical substance? Is it like Innocence?"

"Sort of" Allen replied patiently "The wand itself is made of wood but it contains a core of a magical substance. The type of wood, length of wand and magical substance varies depending on the user." He picked up his wand and twirled it lazily between his fingers, viewing it with some affection. It trailed a fine line of gold sparks from the tip and he spun it around much to Lenalee's delight

"What is yours made of?" Krory asked curiously, watching Allen's fingers as he sped up, causing the wand to become a blur

"Ah, well, it is made from Rowan wood and the core is Unicorn heartstring" **(1)**

"What does that say about you?" Lavi asked, his interest piqued

"Well… Olivander said that it was the only wand of its type in existence- Unicorns are rather sacred creatures you see and _no one _kills them. This one died of natural causes at a relatively young age which was also very rare so some wand maker decided to make a wand out of it about 45... 50 years ago **(1)** and no one was compatible with it so he doesn't really know what characteristics suit the core. Rowan wood though suits the 'pure-hearted and clear headed' apparently, its supposed to be really protective of its owner and be especially suited to defensive charms though its hardly a hard and fast rule"

Lavi nodded as he silently recorded the information, storing it under the 'Allen Walker' file before tuning back into the conversation where Lenalee was cross-examining Allen about how potions were brewed and this conversation kept them going right across the border into Russia

Rain streamed through the gaps where the canvas met the metal of the truck and transformed the base of the trailer into a mini pond. The teens were huddled together in a little circle at the back of the compartment sitting in their sleeping bags with the tops pulled over their heads, shielding them from the rain dripping with steady plops from the canvas roof. All three were shivering violently and swaying with the motion of the truck which was ploughing its way through what felt like a solid wall of water. They sat in complete silence, the only noise coming from their chattering teeth. Lenalee had fallen asleep against one of Allen's shoulder and Lavi was asleep on the other. Krory- who appeared impervious to the cold was lying stretched out on the other side of the truck, curled up snugly in his sleeping bag, sleeping soundly causing Allen's attitude toward the naive man to drop significantly. He was so cold he didn't think he would ever manage to get to sleep ever again- the cold had penetrated right down to the bone and his every muscle ached with it. Though his shoulders were warm, so he had that going for him. Which was nice. Lavi stirred and slowly opened his eyes

"Ow" He croaked "I think my fingers are about to fall off"

Allen tried to raise an eyebrow to convey his sarcasm rather than actually have to speak however his face was so frozen that he couldn't even manage to do that.

"They've… n-no-not gone purple…. y-y-yet... so… you're p-p-probably fine" he spat out between chattering teeth glancing down at his fingers which were bone white and purpling slightly at the tips

"Hate my d-dumb ci-circulation" He grumbled

Lavi looked rather concerned then noticed something else

"Where's your coat?" He asked, tucking his own hands under his armpits. Allen squirmed slightly and ducked his head

"Where is it?" Lavi repeated, his tone warning

"Lenalee's uniform is just so short!" Allen protested gazing plantatively at Lavi "She was freezing to death"

"And now you are" Lavi sniped "Congrats. Here…" He unzipped the sides of his and Allen's sleeping bags and shuffled over a bit, tucking the ends around them. He wrapped his arms about Allen's side, and pulled him close. Lenalee moaned as her 'pillow' moved from under her but she didn't wake up and just switched position slightly as Allen snuggled down into Lavi's side, curled up into a little ball in a vain attempt to retain what little heat his body had remaining in it and sank into a light doze till the truck finally screeched to a halt at a B&B. It took about 15 minutes for the three in the back to even straiten out. Their joints seemed to have welded together from a combination of the cold and not moving. Lavi ended up having to half drag Allen out and Lenalee fell painfully as soon as she stood up. As a group, they stumbled through the door and let out a moan of relief as they saw an open fire. Moving as one, they half fell towards it, collapsing on the hearth. The landlady let out a cry of shock when she saw the three half-frozen, soaked-through teens crumple onto the ground.

"Akh ty bednyazhki, chto sluchilos's vami!" (**Oh you poor things, what happened to you?) **She cried in panic. She held up one finger and ran to one of the closet, reemerging moments late with armfuls of blakets

"Khotite goryachego shokolada ?" **(Do you want some hot chocolate?)**

Lenalee and Lavi looked blankly at her but Allen having regained some control over his vocal chords spoke up

"Da pozhaluysta, bol'shove spasibo. Gruzovik my puteshestvali v be vse, chto vodonepronitsayemyy poetomu my zamorozheny" He stuttered **(Yes please, thank you so much. The truck we were travelling in wasn't all that waterproof so we are frozen)**

She nodded enthusiastically and bustled off into another room. Allen shuffled closer to the fire, clutching his blanket tightly around his body, still shivering violently. Bookman, the finder and Krory sidled shamefacedly into the room avoiding eye contact with the frozen teens. They silently lifted the room keys from one of the other assistants and stumbled off in exhaustion to their rooms electing to leave the other three to their own devices.

"Exactly how many languages _can _you speak" Lavi asked, unable to contain himself after they had warmed up sufficiently to be able to speak without causing themselves significant pain

"Not that many?" Allen said, fidgeting with the mug of hot chocolate, Lavi wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily though and the silence ran on for a good 5 minutes before Allen finally cracked

"Well, _fluently _only Japanese, English and Romany" That however wasn't enough for either Lavi or Lenalee

"How about not fluently, you managed to hold, like, a full conversation in French last week" Lenalee pushed

"Well, French. Obviously. Ah, Russian too- obviously. Erm then there is Slovakian, German- a smattering of Austrian... ah- I can get _by _in Mandarin, though my grammar is quite hideous. Oh! and I can speak Hindi. Can't write or read in it though" He glanced up at the expression on the other two's faces and cringed at the shock

"I've just always been good at languages" He muttered, flushing darkly "I don't know, my brain is just… wired that way or something, I can just, like, hear the similarities between all the languages or something and the rhythm of the words… it just clicks in my brain. Hermione absolutely hates me for it because it means I am actually better than her in Ancient Ruins. If it makes you feel any better, I am a complete failure at maths and my directional sense is woefully tragic" Lenalee laughed slightly

"That does make me feel a little better. Come on. I think I can walk now, and I really, really want to go to sleep now" The boys nodded in concent and they slowly dragged themselves up the stairs. Allen muttered a goodnight to Lenalee before falling into his and Lavi's room where a rather pleasant smell hit them.

"Oh, she drew a bath for us" Lavi gasped "I think I love her!"

"You can go first" Allen muttered, stumbling over to the open fire and collapsing in a heap. Lavi nodded and released the cuff joining the two (Lavi figured that if Allen was incapable of standing, he was probably incapable of running away). Allen curled up cat-like in front of the flames, he didn't even have enough energy to remove the blanket that had bunched up uncomfortably under his side.

Lavi emerged from the bathroom an hour or so later, a cloud of steam following him as he went. He did a slight double take at Allen who was fast asleep on the wooden floor which looked incredibly uncomfortable. Lavi squatted down beside him and gently prodded his shoulder but Allen didn't even stir. He sighed in exhaustion but couldn't quite bring himself to wake him so he knelt down with a groan onto the floor and gently scooped him up after reattaching the cuff around his wrist. It took a few attempts to lift his dead weight but eventually he straitened up and stumbled across to the bed and lowered him onto the mattress then collapsed in beside him, falling asleep almost instantaneously.

Lavi woke late the next morning and had a minor heart attack as his eyelashes actually brushed against Allen's cheek. He jerked backwards and barely managed to keep himself from falling off the edge of the bed. He slumped back on the pillow as he tried to slow his pounding heart. He slipped in and out of a doze as he waited for Allen to wake up but he didn't seem to be planning on regaining cosciousness up any time soon. Eventually the boredom just got too much and he flicked Allen's forehead. Hard. Allen woke up with a moan of pain. It took a number of minutes for him to orientate himself and a few more to realise what had woken him at which point, he dug his elbow into Lavi's stomach and deliberately stepped all over him as he crawled out of the bed, apologising sarcastically as he did so

"Oh sorry… didn't see you there… totally didn't mean to knee you in the kidneys…"

Back in the truck, they began to head into China and the weather, much to Allen's delight reached a comfortable 20 degrees. They had grown bored of the ridiculously complicated games Lavi had concocted and instead, Allen was teaching them how to play 'Hold 'em Texas'. As they got closer and closer to the presumed destination of Cross, the number of Akuma they were coming across was increasing significantly which they took as a good sign that they were getting warmer. Tim had also been signalling that they are getting much closer than they had expected- Bookman suggested that Cross amy have moved from Korea into China so their travelling was slowed even more as they began to dig for some information. The going more difficult though and they were having to stop repeatedly to take down the packs of Akuma they came across. Lenalee grew increasingly concerned as she saw the toll this was having on Allen's arm. She wished more than anything that Komui was here with her. Although she was much more independent of her brother than she had used to be, she still deferred to his knowledge and missed him when he wasn't around. He would certainly know what to do about it (though she doubted Allen would be too pleased to have him fixing his arm). Allen was growing more reckless than ever about his own life however, Lenalee was struggling to condone him too much as she herself was taking more risks than she would previously have taken. So many had died back in England in that attack and she had missed it. She had been too slow, too ineffective and people had suffered because of it. Lavi too seemed to be feeling the strain and was pushing himself beyond his limits too. It was a very good thing they had Bookman with them as he had a great knowledge of medicine and- however reluctantly- patched the teens up after every reckless charge. They had been travelling though China for several days when finally they came across some useful information. Anita, the owner of a particularly upperclass brothel, confirming every suspicion Allen had about this mysterious master who's idea of caring for him had been to abandon him after Mana's death, leave him to grieve and wonder halfway across the world on his own- his only input being running up huge debts for him in every city he went too. Although Allen did understand why he did so, he could't help but feel that there were about fifty million better ways that he could have gone about protecting him. Lavi and Lenalee noticed the drop in his mood but said nothing about it, deciding it was better to leave well enough alone. There was plenty to do anyway- what with stocking up the boat they are having to take across the ocean to Japan, where Anita claimed Cross had been heading when she lost contact with him. Trepidation amongst the group was running high. If the truck they had been travelling in for the last month and a bit was ancient, this ship was prehistoric. According to Anita, that was the only option if they wanted to land in Japan which had entered isolation years previously, forbidding any vehicle from entering or leaving the country much to the anger and confusion of the other countries however contact had also been completely cut off and none was willing to make any actions that might be construed as aggressive as technically, the Japanese were at liberty to cease all trading. The social media had gone crazy at this development and conspiracies abounded but nothing had been confirmed or denied by the government. Unfortunately though that meant Cross was now inhabiting the hardest to reach country- this was even worse than if he had really been in Korea and so, they had to resort to this ancient ship that Anita claimed would fool the technology, being so low-tech as to avoid the scanners. The crew she gathered were oddly loyal to her and the teenagers were beginning to wonder if there was more to this woman than being a brothel-owner.

They had barely started on their journey before all 3 of them became violently sea sick. The wooden construction swayed violently from left to right, the deck leaning almost horizontally beneath their feet. Their journey was definitely beginning to feel a little less hopeless now though- although Anita was almost certain that Cross was dead, Bookman was equally certain that Cross was far too stubborn to do such a thing. Either way, they were far closer to him now than they had been before and besides, Allen was pretty sure that had Cross been dead, Tim would have given some sign. He had had no chance to speak with him in private as Lavi was still watching him like a hawk so he had no way of knowing what was going on at Hogwarts or what Dumbledore wanted him to do, so he was just winging it and hoping that he was doing the right thing. About the middle of the second day, Lavi noticed what he thought was a thunderstorm in the distance. He was just about to mention this when Allen's eye activated

"Akuma" He gasped, his eyes wide and frightened "more than I can count… I can't… there's… Lavi! There's thousands of them! Its an ambush!"

There was a mad rush of activity as everyone went to panic stations- Lavi separated the cuff and Allen immediately flew up to meet the black cloud, disappearing in the stream

"Allen!" Lavi yelled "Dammit! Hiban, grow, grow _grow" _He shot up to join Allen mid-air- both Krory and Lenalee joined shortly after, however the Akuma seemed unconcerned by their presence. They cut down as many as they could which seemed to spike their interest and more converged upon them however, the majority of the bulbous creatures continued streaming on past the ship towards the shore on to the west of the ship where the thunderstorm had lit up the sky in a garish white

"It has arrived!" one of the Akuma crowed and Allen turned to see a monstrous creature rise above the land, the bolts of light that he had thought to be lighting extending from where the arms in the grotesque truncated body should have been. He gaped wordlessly at this impossible being before snapping back to attention as the akuma as a whole screamed "_Kill it!" _and charged.

Lenalee stared as they streaked toward the strange creature, attacking it. Whatever this creature was, the Akuma seemed to prioritise its destruction before even the destruction of exorcists. In a snap decision, she caught Allen's hand and building up power in her dark boots, she burst off through the air towards the battle on the shore, a loud boom cracking though the air as she burst through the sound barrier. They landed on the ground near the creature and stared in complete ignorance at it

"What…" Allen gasped as he forced air back into his lungs which felt as if they had been forced through a wringer but Lenalee's eyes widened in terror as she recognised the face protruding from the monstrous body

"_SUMAN!" _She screamed, dropping to her knees with a loud cry, tears streaming down her face. She knew what this was. She knew what had happened. She knew what he had become. Allen dropped down beside her and wrapped his arms around her trembling body

"What is it?" He asked gently

"The Fall" She choked as she remembered the face of that young boy… the boy who had been forced to try and synchronise with innocence as his body rejected it again and again.

"The Fall?" Allen echoed, gently tipping her chin up so she was looking at him. Her heart ached so much she thought it might break. She _knew _Suman, they had been friends! He had been kind and gentle and his love for his family… that must have been what had done it. She refused to believe he had betrayed the cause. He would never have done that. Never. He couldn't have betrayed his friends like that. He could never have betrayed _her _like that. She looked up at Allen's confused eyes, remembering that he knew nothing of the horrors of the Order, having been shielded for so long…

"This is what happens to an accommodator when their synchronisation drops below 0% Allen… this man- he is- he was… Suman Dark"

Allen's eyes widened at this statement-he had met Suman on a few occasions in his Akuma- hunting and once when he was on a big missions with Lenalee. How could he be this monster? His innocence didn't even resemble the creature- he had been the accomidator to a similar innocence as Allen's actually and they had kind of bonded over this similarity, having long conversations about fighting techniques and how their biggest fear was damaging the innocence and having to let Komui fix it

"I.." Lenalee choked

"I have seen something like this before. They tried to force synchronisation with someone who wasn't an accommodator to make more soldiers for our army" She shuddered at the dark memory, a tear slipping down her cheek

"But… but he is an accommodator" Allen said, nonplussed "How could an accommodators synchronisation have dropped below zero?" But before Lenalee got the chance to answer, the akuma converged upon Suman and a brilliant burst of light exploded from the stumps where the arms of the monster he had become should have been, cutting down huge swaths of Akuma

"We have to help him" Lenalee choked "We must. I never saw what happened to the other boy- maybe he survived? Maybe he was OK? We have to try Allen!" A terrible sound was emitting from the creature and Allen realised, to his horror, that Suman was screaming. They shot off towards the scene of destruction.

Allen grimaced as he tried to heave the body of a young girl out of the strange creature- she was half submerged in this strange gloopy substance that Suman was also submerged in. Lenalee came over and took the girl from him

"You get Suman" She yelled "I can't get him out"

"She's not breathing" Allen yelled "You'll need to do CPR"

Lenalee looked torn for a second as her eyes lingered on the immobilised Suman. Allen could see the torment in her eyes and he felt a surge of sympathy for her- her heart was so kind and she took every loss personally. He couldn't let her be responsible for Suman- if she lost him, she would never forgive herself

"I promise" He said sincerely, resting a hand on her shoulder "I will do everything I can to save him" She nodded, a single tear escaping and trickling down her cheek but she set her jaw determinedly and dropped like a stone to the ground, cradling the young girls body in her arms. Another huge blast of energy emitted from the 'fallen one' and Allen could hear an increase in the volume of Suman's screams. The sound tore at his very heart and he couldn't shake the feeling that with every blast of energy, Suman's very life-force was being drained. He desperately activated his innocence and stuck it into the pool

"Stop it Innocence" He screamed in desperation- Suman's eyes snapped open and hatred seemed to pour from their very depths

"Be cursed. Be cursed. All of you. Humans. Exorcists. Apostles. Be CURSED" He snarled and there was a terrible jerk as the entire monstrous body began to move further inland, toward a small village. Allens insides twisted violently. He couldn't go through this again- not now- not another village of innocent people.

"Stop!" He screamed, reaching for Suman pleadingly "Stop it! It is our job to protect and save these people- please Suman" But Suman seemed crazed- he snarled and sank his teeth deep into Allen's outstretched arm. Allen chocked back a cry of pain and through gritted teeth tried again to reach Suman

"Suman, please, its not too late, you can reach your innocence still, just stop destroying- do what you were destined to do. Save these people and the innocence will re-synchronise with you. Please" He chocked slightly as Suman sank his teeth even further into his flesh

"I won't let the innocence destroy you" He swore "I promise you, if you stop, if you save these people, I won't let the innocence destroy you"

He had no idea how he was going to keep this promise but he was determined to- he had to save Suman for Lenalee and he had to save the villagers for all their sakes. The ship was too far away for anyone to come help. This was down to him.

"Don't die!" He cried but his words had the opposite intended effect. Suman clamped his teeth down and there was a horrible _snap _as the bones in Allen's hand broke. Suman loomed over the village which they had now reached and there was a terrible crack as the white lighting cut a swath out of the wooden houses. Allen's eyes widened in shock and in desperation, he activated his innocence to full capacity. The pain was terrible as his broken hand transformed but he fought through the pain and caught Suman round the middle, slowing his advance and trying to push him away. He put all his strength behind it and eventually slowed him to a halt

"_I will save you" _He yelled

Back on the ground, Lenalee had finally managed to revive the girl and had linked her Golem up to the Black Order in the hope of getting some useful information from her brother. Her entire body trembled as Komui spoke. Each word hit like a physical blow

_"There is no saving someone once they have entered 'The Fall'… Suman's golem was used to gain information about a large group of Finders and Exorcists- before they all died. He had no reason to ask for this information. We believe he became a double agent… He betrayed the Order Lenalee… He betrayed all of us"_

These phrases bounced around her head, echoing horribly.

"No" She whispered, tears slipping unchecked down her cheek "It can't be true" Every part of her being ached as she remembered the care-free man she had known and what he had now become. How could he have betrayed them all like that? They had been friends- they had done missions together when she was younger and new to the job of being an exorcist. He had protected her whenever she went out with him and had been kind and patient despite her silence. He had teased her every time they met that he had made her what she was- spoke about her like she was some famous pop star and he was the mentor that had brought her to fame. How could he have turned his back on his friends like that? Did he not understand what was at stake? Literally the entire world hung in the balance and yet he had chosen to betray the Order and help the Noah? No. It wasn't possible. She turned in desperation to the village. 'The Fall' hung just beyond the border being held back only by Allen's arm. She could see even from this distance the creature straining away from the grip and Allen's arm trembling. Even he wouldn't be able to hold Suman back forever. She had to evacuate the village and buy Allen some time to get through to him. A pang shot through her stomach; she should be the one up there, she knew him best, but she knew Allen's innocence was better suited to this job than hers and if anyone could reach him, it was him with his endless sympathy and kind heart. Her job meanwhile was to protect the humans in the village and prevent another slaughter. She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her face then set of determinedly toward the village

Allen's entire body was trembling with the effort of holding Suman in place and he didn't think he would be able to hold it much longer. His arm was burning and his hand was in agony

"Suman" He yelled again in desperation as he tried to reach the man who seemed so unreachable

"You want to live- remember your daughter? Don't you want to live to see her again? Or at least save this world so she can live a safe and happy life? Don't give in to despair so easily- we can win this Suman, we _can_"

but there was no response and Suman continued to strain toward the village. Allen had no option- Suman could live without an arm he reasoned to himself. Perhaps if he separated the innocence from him, he would live. Without the innocence attached, surely the synchronisation would cease to matter. Mustering all his strength, he pushed his innocence even further- but rather than respond with its usual surge of energy there was a horrible tearing sound. A shudder ran through Allen's body at the terrible sound. He stared up blankly at his arm, unsure of exactly what had happened but then the pain hit him and all thought was obliterated from his mind. There was a terrible sound ringing through his ears and it took him a few moments to realise that it was his own screams. His arm gave way under the force Suman was pressing against it and contorted into an unnatural angle. With the barrier now removed from him, Suman surged toward the village, the bright lighting bolts of energy sparking. Hardly even thinking about what he was doing, Allen reached into his pocket with his uninjured hand. The pain was tearing through his body but somehow his numbed brain found the spell he was looking for

"Protegro" He gasped, pointing his wand at the village and a shield blossomed from his wand- Suman crashed against the shield with tremendous force. It stopped him in his tracks but shattered as the white energy crashed into it. Allen raised his wand again but Suman stopped. Allen hesitated slightly and a small burst of hope blossomed in his chest- maybe something had finally gotten though to him. Suman's cries changed pitch- the body began to crumble and sink slowly to the ground. Allen tried to force his aching body to move but his arm was now sending electric- shock like sensations through his whole body, paralising him. He could see Suman sinking lower and lower, landing with a resounding thud not too far from him. The huge body that he had become seemed to be de-activated or something and Allen could see Suman's tortured face. But he couldn't move. His body just wasn't obeying his lay, frozen, panting heavily shuddering as the waves of pain crashed over his body.

There was a whirring noise beside his ear and Allen looked up to see Tim speeding over to his masters innate body. Unable to move, Allen watched his approach, feeling incredibly grateful that the had found Tim. Even if he was a little bit irritated that he had left Mai, he knew that he had been a little paranoid in leaving Tim with her and he had certainly not anticipated being away from Hogwarts this long. Tim landed lightly on his masters cheek and patted him lightly. Allen couldn't even muster the strength to respond to this and Tim repeated the action with a little more force. When his master still didn't respond, Tim seemed to lose his temper then bared his fangs and bit hard into his masters ear. Allen yelped and shot upright, the new wave of pain seeming to snap his body out of its paralysis. He staggered to his feet and made his way across to Suman. He collapsed next to his body and lent close to his innate body

"Suman, I am going to sever your arm ok? And then I'll pull you out but my arm… I won't be able to do it myself- you'll need to bite down on my hand again ok? And I'll pull you out that way"

Suman's eyes finally opened and met Allen's

"…Who?…Why?" He gasped. Allen smiled lightly as he lent forward, fighting though the pain of his arm

"My name is Allen Walker- I'm going to get you out of this. I promise". He bit his lip as he willed with all his heart for his arm to hold up through this. He raised it above his head and- holding his good arm out for Suman to bite into- he swept it down, aiming for Suman's innocence. The second his arm began slicing through Suman's innocence, the pain flared up again- amplified exponentially- he was unable to hold back the scream of pain and Suman yelled over Allen's cries

"Stop this! Leave me! I am not worth this! I betrayed my friends- I killed all those people- Leave me!" But Allen doggedly battled on, forcing his arm- which was disintegrating as he went- through Suman's arm and with a final burst of effort, he severed the limb from his body. Suman bit down hard on Allen's hand and, barely even feeling this new wave of pain, Allen strained his entire body backwards, slowly pulling Suman out. With a crash, they both tumbled out of the monstrous body and fell to the ground. Allen immediately straitened up

"Suman?" He gasped raggedly, clutching his deformed arm to his body, blood trickling through his bent and twisted fingers. He dragged his body through the rubble towards his fallen body

"Suman!"

His eyes are empty

It's not possible

He had done everything

He had given his all

Suman

Suman had to be alive

There's no spirit

He's alive

But his spirit

It is dead

Why?

He fell to the ground with a terrible cry of pain- not physical this time. He refused to believe it- he had the body. If they got him back to Komui- maybe… Maybe. But even as this hope formed in his brain, Suman's body blistered and exploded before his very eyes. Disgustingly bloated purple butterflies poured over Allen's shoulder and a horrible sensation tickled at the back of his neck. Trembling slightly, eyes wide, he turned round and a small gasp escaped his mouth

A tall, immaculately dressed man stood behind him. The man grinned widely as the creatures streamed into his hands

"Good evening… Shounen"

**(1)- hehehehe I'm not telling you guys the significance of this- I'll let you figure it out on your own so you can get that little warm feeling of pride that a fangirl/boy gets when they know their fandom well enough to figure things out that other people don't know**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N Will-of-the-abyss Allen x Road: *Tackle hugs back* Yeah, I kind of dissapeared off the face of the planet for a while there :P I debated for a while about posting this chapter but I can't leave another gap like that again and even if it doesn't have as much plot as i would like, it is something. On a side note- wouldn't the world just be SO much better if drugs were just Lavi. Like lots and lots of chibi tiny adorable Lavi's. It'd give the same high but would be significantly less harmful (though more addictive) I can't believe I forgot to throw in the angsty missing Mai part of the last chapter- I sort of lose track sometimes between what parts I have written in my head and what parts I have written in real life... still, Mai returns here (though it is a rather sad return and is rather short-lived, I just have too much plotting to do to throw in too many adorable father-daughter moments). I also threw in a semi-sweet Dumbledore moment :D. Yeah it is typical of Allen to give Lena his coat while he freezes to death isn't it? The wee adorable numpty. I'm afraid I may possibly end up breaking your heart in this chapter re:Luna... apologies in advance for that :S And Allen didn't listen to your advice, he chose option F. Urgh. Honestly. Some people never learn... **

**Diavo: Yeah, couldn't resist the Laven pun. And its not so much to do with the 14th as it is to do with his innocence... I shall mention once word to help you figure it out and leave it at that... HEART. Kay. Done **

**kickassdani: Thanks :D yeah, this is my first fanfiction so I am kind of learning as I am going. I keep meaning to go back and amalgamate the first few into a decent length chapter. Sounds like too much effort though :P Hope you continue to enjoy the story! **

**Shirubagure: I am just going to say this because it is pretty hard to figure out my own reasoning behind this: The reason Allen is so great at languages is because he has the 14th in him and the 14th is the musician and in my headcanon can use his powers to understand like what things are made of and stuffs as he can (in my brain) understand all languages coz... music... and like building block of language and reasons of things and stuff and I swear the logic made more sense in my head... **

**Ennael: Tyki met Allen in the seedy bar in France hence the reason they knew each other though I am sure I could have explained it better. No, the wand was made by a wizard but was just never matched to a wizard and so was in a dark shelf in Olivanders shop. We skip back to Hogwarts here and so far I haven't really touched on the Noah. Probs wont again till the ark :) coronadomontes: Thaaaaanks **

**guest: Glad you liked it- though I may be about to break your heart in this chapter too**

Harry, Hermione and the Weasles were slumped, exhausted on the disheveled carpet of the living room in 12 Grimmould Place having just finished prising a very stubborn mould from the arms and legs of the ornate but filthy furniture cluttering the room

"That stuff us absolutely disgusting" Ron complained as he disposed of a lump of mold that had attached itself to his finger. George and Fred meanwhile poked interestedly through the bag, muttering under their breath to one another before deciding on a few choice specimens and dropping them into a leather pouch which they swiftly stowed under their robes, glancing furvively around. A loud crash coming from downstairs caused all six of them to jump violently. Loud screams from Mrs Black portrait added to the commotion as the adults (who had previously been in the middle of an Order of the Phoenix meeting) burst from their room to investigate. Wordlessly, the entire group of teens scrambled for the staircase, silently running down to the final landing before the corridor that contained the portrait. They halted here and pressed themselves to the wall, just out of sight of the Order. Harry caught a quick glance of Tonks, bent double in the entrance panting before he retreated out of sight

"What has happened Tonks?" Mrs Weasly cried, fear apparent in her voice, for as clumsy as Tonks was she would never barge in like that unless something was wrong. Harry strained his ears, on tenderhooks, convinced he was about to finally hear something really useful. There was no way she would be in such a panic if something important hadn't finally happened

"Someone needs to get Dumbledore _now_" She gasped "Ah! Severus! Thank goodness- do you know where he is?"

"Of course" Came the silky, superior tones of Snape and it may have been Harry's imagination but he thought he sounded vaguely concerned.

"What has happened" He repeated Mrs Weasly's question, but with some more authority

"The ministry have found him. The boy. They found Allen"

Harry's spirits soured, a flame bursting into life in his chest as he turned to grin excitedly at Hermione and Ron. He knew that everyone had been growing increasingly concerned about the lack of contact and he had been unable to stop the unbidden thoughts that had entered his head through his lonely nights at the Dursly's or through the quieter moments at Grimould place. But no, he had been wrong, Allen was fine, he was fine, and even though the ministry had found him Dumbledore would sort that out. He hadn't technically done anything wrong, there was no rule he knew against wizards going on 'holiday' and if the worst came to the worst he thought, feeling rather ashamed of the thought as it came, at least he wouldn't be alone in not returning to Hogwarts if Allen ended up getting expelled too. He had a briefest image of him, Allen and Sirius all living together as a family when Tonks carried on her sentence smashing his vision and his hopes to nothing

"He is dead, Snape. He is dead"

It was as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the world. The clamoring of the Order begging for more detail silenced. The screams of Mrs Black's portrait ceased. There was no sound left in the whole world apart from the thundering of Harry's pulse in his ears. George's mouth was moving but no sound was coming from it. Harry moved in slow motion, turning to look at Hermione and Ron again. Their faces were colourless and both looked like they had just been punched in the stomach. Their eyes met and wordless communication passed between them. Exactly what it was saying, Harry wasn't sure but it helped somehow- this understanding that two other people in the world understood the impossibility of the situation. Allen couldn't be dead.

Slowly, bit by bit, sound entered the world again and time- which had slowed to a snails pace- sped up to its rightful speed once more. There was a loud, strange noise to Harry's left and he turned again to see the noise had come from Ginny. She wasn't crying, but rather just looked like she was in pain. The noise came again and it was as if her lungs were having to force her to breath against her will. Fred, looking rather scared grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her

"Ginny!" He yelled and somehow this seemed to snap her back and with a wail, the tears did start. Fred gathered her up in his arms and rocked her as she cried, staring wordlessly over her blazing hair to George. Harry stumbled to his feet and it was as if his body was actually out of his control. He walked steadily down the stairs and across the landing to where the Order were huddled in a semi-circle. Sirius raised his head as Harry approached- his face stricken

"Harry" He gasped, holding out a consolatory hand, but Harry's eyes went to Tonks

"Are you sure" He croaked, his voice rasping painfully in his throat

Tonks blanched

"Oh Harry! I didn't know you were here! Ah- I only caught the tail end of a conversation- Allen performed magic and Perkins said when the ministry went to pick him up, they found him... well he was... his heart had stopped" Sirius gripped Harry shoulder and Harry's instinctively grabbed a hold of his hand too, grateful for something to hold onto in the world which all of a sudden made no sense

"But what happened" He asked insistently, still staring at Tonks who was looking increasingly uncomfortable

"I really don't know Harry, Like I said I only caught..."

"Where was he?" Harry interrupted "Where did they find him? Was he on a mission? Is that why he hadn't contacted anyone?"

Tonks just shook her head. Harry opened his mouth to ask more questions but Sirius's grip tightened on his shoulder, stopping him mid interrogation

"Harry, don't bite her head off- she doesn't know anything. But we will find out ok? Kingsley will send word as soon as he hears anything and Tonks is about to head back to the ministry right now, aren't you Tonks?"

He stared pointedly at Tonks who looked for half a second like she was about to protest but then- after glancing again at Harry- she shut her mouth and just nodded, and retreated back out the door. Sirius steered Harry over to the kitchen and deposited him in a seat, disappearing off and then returning with a steaming mug of mulled mead

"Just a few sips OK?" He said sternly, but with a small smile. Sirius left to get the rest of the kids in and Harry took a big gulp of the steaming drink in front of him. The spicy liquid seared its way down his throat and seemed to warm him up from inside, bringing some of the feeling back into his frozen body. Ron, Hermione and Ginny filed in one after another and took up the remaining seats at the table. Harry wordlessly passed the drink around the table and the rest of the teens took a gulp of the searing liquid too. There was absolute silence around the table and Sirius sank into the chair beside Harry, shooting concerned looks at his godson every now and again. Mrs Weasly joined them moments later and- shooting a disapproving glance at the still-steaming mud- she brewed up a pot of tea and handed the cups around the teens, all of whom left them untouched. Moments later, there was a loud bang as the front door flew open and Mrs Black started up her screaming again. Everyone around the table jumped violently and twisted around to stare at the door. There was a pause about as long as a heartbeat and then Tonk's burst through, her magenta hair flying out behind her

"He's alive" She gasped

"He's at St Mungo's. He's alive!"

There was a flurry of action as they all surged to their feet and as one ran for the door.

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE MUST HAVE WONDERED OFF?" _Mrs Weasly bellowed at a rather pale looking Healer

"_FIRST YOU TELL US HE IS DEAD, THEN YOU TELL US HE IS MISSING AN ARM AND HAS A HOLE IN HIS HEART THEN YOU _**LOSE** _HIM? WHAT SORT OF A CIRCUS ARE YOU RUNNING HERE?" _She was actually shaking the Healer now, and he rather looked like he was about to faint. Or cry. Harry turned away from this scene and tugged on Hermione's elbow

"Come on" He muttered

"There's no point hanging around here. Lets go look for him. I'll take the floor below, you take this one, Ron- you go to the floor above" The two nodded and Fred lent over

"Me, George and Ginny will cover the other floors" He said, his face uncharacteristically serious and he hurried off down the corridor. Five minutes later and Harry was wondering along the long, pristine corridors of the 3rd floor- glancing half-heartedly into the ward doors that he passed though it seemed unlikely that a half-dead, armless boy could have wondered in without someone noticing. A horrible though occurred to Harry as he strode down another equally empty wing- what if whatever had attacked Allen had come back for seconds? Whatever it was, it must be incredibly strong- Harry had seen Allen train and had even (an a whim) tried to spar with him once and had been utterly obliterated in mere minutes. He was smiling slightly at this memory when he did a double take. He had given a cursory glance down a darkened corridor that looked unused and had seen something move. He pressed up against the glass in the door and- yes- a shadowy figure was moving at the end. He entered, shaking slightly and strode down to the small figure enveloped in darkness. Harry drew level with the figure that was indeed Allen and his stomach clenched painfully. Although he had been told that Allen was missing an arm, he guessed it hadn't really sunk in because a wave of nausea and horror crashed over his body as he saw the blackened stump that had been Allen's arm. Bandages encased the rest of his body and Harry thought he could see small spots of blood staining the dressings. Allen had his hand pressed against the door at the end of the corridor that clearly had been blocked up at some stage

his eyes were blank and uncomprehending.

"Got... to keep walking" He muttered, and Harry then noticed that he wasn't leaning against the door, he was actually pushing it, which probably explained the blood spots on his bandages. Harry reachedo ut with some trepidation and gently laid his hand on Allen's shoulder. Allen turned to look at him, but his eyes remained unfocussed

"I... have to..." He turned back to face the door again and Harry could see his arm trembling as he pushed against the immovable door

"Allen..." He started carefully

"You're in St Mungo's, mate. You're hurt. Look, we really should get back to your room. Come on" He gently tugged at Allen's sleeve but the boy didn't move. His wide grey eyes met Harry's- his stare was terrifyingly blank

"St Mungo's?" He repeated, sounding confused. Harry breathed a sigh of relief- he seemed to be coming back to reality

"Yeah- you were attacked, Allen and hurt pretty badly, then the ministry turned up and took you here because you performed magic. Don't you remember?"

There was a long silence as Allen processed this information, his eyes still rather unfocussed

"Suman" He said faintly

Harry blinked- his turn now to be confused

"He... he didn't mean... had to protect... no choice. The town!" He gasped, suddenly intense and he gripped Harry's arm

"The town was it...?" But his voice trailed off again, his eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled beneath him. Harry moved instinctively and caught him before he hit the ground

"C'mon mate" He said and wrapped Allen's arm around his neck as the boy came back into consciousness

"Let's get you back"

Their progress was slow and stunted as Allen's legs kept giving way underneath him. Eventually though, they reached the ward, where Mrs Weasly was now gesturing angrily to the head healer of the ward. She paused mid-tirrade and let out a gasp when she saw Harry approach, then ran over to help

"Oh you poor dear" She cried as she took Allen from Harry's arms. She gently lowered him to the ground and with a wave of her wand, conjured up a stretcher beneath his body which she then levitated back into his ward- shooting poisonous glares at the healers as she did so. Mrs Weasly gently tucked Allen back into his bed and smoothed the head off his forehead, her expression motherly. She gently squeezed his hand and then retreated to the doorway that the rest of the teens were lurking in. She rested her hand on Harry's shoulder as she walked out

"Just a few minutes, dears, you don't want to tire him out. We'll go get coffee and wait for you downstairs okay?"

She gestured to Fred, George and Ginny as she walked off but Ginny hung back wavering uncertainly- she turned and ran lightly over to Allen's bed, lent down and pressed a kiss onto his forehead, stroking his cheek

"I'm glad your ok" She whispered, her fiery hair sweeping over the sheets. Allen gave her a weak smile which she returned quickly before running back after her mother. The smile slipped from his lips as soon as she left and he gave a grimace of pain. Hermione immediately began rummaging through the cupboards and grabbed a bottle of blue potion

"Here" She said, concern apparent in her voice as she held the bottle to his lips

"It'll help with the pain"

Allen took a sip of the potion and sunk back onto his pillows with a sigh of relief. Harry, Hermione and Ron sat down on either corner of the hospital bed and silence fell over the hospital ward. Hermione rested her hand on top of Allen's and shot a concerned look over to Ron and Harry. Allen was deathly pale and lying there in the bed, he looked so small and young. The harassed looking healer from before re-entered the room and gave a smile of relief when he saw Allen lying in his bed

"Oh thank goodness" He gasped

"You really shouldn't have gotten up at all, your wounds..." he bustled over to his bed, waving his wand in a complicated motion over him. Nothing visibly happened but it must have told the healer something because he grimaced and began rummaging through the cupboard full of potions

"Has someone been by to talk to you about what happened?" He said over his shoulder, in a rather throwaway manner

"Ah, no..." Allen said rather nervously.

There was a loud crash, causing all four of them to jump violently. The healer emerged from the cupboard rubbing his head

"Oh I am so sorry... I just assumed... Never mind, I know your case well enough... I guess I can just.."

He wondered over to the bedside again, arms full of bottles which he dumped unceremoniously on the table

"Would it be alright if you three stepped out" He said to the other three, seeming to have gathered himself together, his voice becoming more professional

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged looks

"It's ok" Allen said, sitting up a little bit in his bed- the motion seemed to alert him to the fact that he was missing an arm as he only had one hand to push himself up with

"Anything you say to me, you can say to them" he said rather distractedly, staring transfixed at the space where his arm used to be.

The healer looked rather unconvinced but decided not to push the point

"OK well... there is still a lot we don't know as we don't really know the circumstances in which you obtained your injuries, however, I will tell you as much as I can. As you can see, you have lost your arm however I don't know if that it is permanent"

Allen sat forward in his seat, hope blooming in his eyes

"Your arm- its not exactly- I mean- Whatever the circumstances you lost your arm in, there was absolutely no trauma to your shoulder socket at all nor was there a huge amount of blood loss that we would expect from loss of limb. It's like... it's like your arm disintegrated or something and the stump seemed to seal itself off. The substance- whatever it is, covering your stump, isn't flesh. It sealed the wound off and prevented you from bleeding out. When the ministry officials took you in, you were followed by a sort of dusty material that matches the substance on the stump of your arm- it is a bit like you're arm disintegrated and then followed you here. I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before but it is theoretically possible that it could... reattach? Though it would have to reassemble itself into the proper shape- I will refer you on to some magical experts who..."

Allen slumped back on the pillow and heaved a sigh of relief- he wasn't completely useless after all, there was still a chance that he could re-join the battle. He was so full of relief that he almost missed what the healer said next

"...hole through your heart"

"_What?" _Allen said in shock. The healer gave a start of surprise

"Didn't you know? Ah... When we found you, you had a hole strait through your heart and had gone into full cardiac arrest- hence the reason you were reported dead at the scene however, the hole then sealed itself and your heart restarted. We really can't explain it. There were no external injuries, just the hole."

He shrugged and shook his head, clearly completely nonplussed he was smiling slightly though and it was pretty obvious that he found all of this completely fascinating- medical mysteries obviously being his thing

"Most of your other injuries were relatively minor though" He said, snapping out of his trance

"Apart from the injury to your right arm" He frowned as he said this

"The wounds were really quite severe- but the injury- err- it looked like- well, a human bite mark. Which obviously is completely..."

But before he could complete the sentence, Allen said

"Yeah, that was Suman"

There was a long, heavy silence as the Healer gaped at him in shock

"You broke about 20 bones in your hand! And the bite mark was almost all the way through- who...?"

"Oh, don't worry about it" Allen said unconcernedly

"He didn't really mean to hurt me- I told him to do it- look it's a really long story, but he wasn't intending to hurt me, honestly"

He smiled serenely at the group surrounding him, all of whom were staring in absolute horror at him

The three teens opened their mouths to ask further questions but the healer seemed to come to his senses (for the third time)

"OK! Well, I think we should leave it there, don't you? Now, the ministry are going to expect a full statement from you but I will fob them off for now. You need to get some sleep"

The Healer measured up a couple different potions into a vial and handed it to Allen.

"This should help you sleep, and it'll promote healing. I'll be back to check on you in an hour or so" He stowed the bottles back into the cupboard and gestured to the rest of them to get out

"Nah, we'll wait for a while" Ron said tersely, staring down at his friend

"We won't keep him awake or anything. We just want to sit with him a while"

The Healer nodded understandingly and bustled out of the room, leaving them alone

They sat there for a while, watching their friend as he slept, slowly coming round to the fact that yes, he was still alive but that he was unlikely to ever be the same again

The next time Allen woke, it was to find Dumbledore sitting on a plush seat at the side of his bed, half way through 'Tales of Beedle the Baard' pausing every few lines to make little annotations. He glanced up and smiled when he saw Allen had finally woken up

"Ah, it is so good to see you my dear boy" he said enthusiastically

"I was really beginning to get rather concerned with your lack of contact. I'm glad you are here more-or-less in one piece" He chuckled slightly at his own joke and Allen was so surprised at the black humor that he laughed too

"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked, handing over a breakfast tray and pouring out a cup of tea for himself. Allen heaped bacon onto his plate, all of a sudden realising that he was absolutely starving

"I'm doing ok I guess" He said shoving a few mouthfulls of his meal into his mouth

Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow and gave him a look that clearly said he didn't believe a word of it

"Alright, maybe I'm not OK, but there isn't really much I can do about it is there?"

Dumbledore interlocked his fingers and pressed the tips to his lips

"Well, I suppose not. Though talking can help"

He leant forward, his sky blue eyes serious

"I need to know what happened" He said softly

"Take your time- there is no rush but I _need _to know. I only got in here before the ministry did because that healer of yours seems to have taken a liking to you. Once I know exactly what happened, I'll be better able to help you"

Allen nodded and slowly began telling his tale, pausing only to eat more food, or gulp down mouthfuls of tea. Dumbledore said nothing, merely nodding every now and again or pointing his wand at the tray of breakfast foods and replenishing the supply. Once Allen had finished, Dumbledore sank back in his seat, eyes unfocussed and far away as he processed all the new information.

"Well" He said eventually

"The ministry will probably charge you for unauthorised magic, however the chance that the cahrge'll stick to you are even slimmer than the chance they'll stick anything on Harry. I mean, you were found half-dead in a nearly destroyed town- they simply cannot ignore _that _much evidence, no matter how much they may want to. Now, obviously, they will not believe you when you tell them the truth but that doesn't really matter. We need to get your story out there so when they question you, I want you to tell them what really happened alright?" Allen nodded and shrugged

"I don't really care what they say about me, Professor. I have more important things to do now anyways" He glanced wryly at his missing arm and Dumbledore smiled

"Yes, I suppose you do" His tone grew a little more serious

"About that actually... Things are proceeding much faster than Cross and I anticipated- it may not be possible any longer for you to stay at Hogwarts till you come of age"

Allen said nothing- having come to this conclusion himself almost as soon as he had regained consciousness

"Obviously you will have to stay till you manage to sort out whatever is going on with your arm and regain your strength but I am under no illusions as to exactly what you will do as soon as you are able to fight again"

Dumbledore smiled rather sadly as he surveyed Allen

"It is truly a sad day when we must send our children to fight for us" he mused remorsefully, his face clouding over. Allen avoided his gaze not willing to get into it- he really didn't care how sorry Dumbledore felt for him and his situation- pity would do him no good. He just had to get back to where he belonged. With Lavi and Lenalee and the others, fighting the Noah.

"Where is Mai?" He asked, not even trying to disguise his attempt to change the topic of conversation. Dumbledore chuckled again

"Alright, I get the message- I'll bring her in tomorrow, once you are feeling a little better, but back to business- just for a minute I promise- I believe I may have found a way to help us with this whole Trace situation"

Allen sat forward in his bed, all of a sudden very intent on everything Dumbledore was saying- if there was some way to get around the Trace, he would maybe be able to rejoin the battle even without the use of his arm. Sure he wouldn't be quite as effective and he wouldn't be able to save any Akuma but he could definitely help the other accommodators. Dumbledore noticed the light igiting in Allen's eyes and sighed internally. It was painfully obvious what was going through the boys head and Dumbledore was pretty certain he didn't like it

"I found a clause" He continued still displeased with the effect that his words were having

"Its an ancient rule but it is possible for a wizard to be released from the trace before they turn 17- you see, in the old times, the wizards fought many battles against other magical races and so there had to be a get-out clause for young wizards to bolster the ranks for battle. I will need to draw up the contract and it will take a little time but once we get signatures from a teacher from every subject you have taken in school on the document declaring that you are safe to perform that branch of magic, then one signature from me and one from a ministry official (Kingsley I believe is our best shot) and you should be free to go. Though I _absolutely _refuse to draw up this document until you are capable of rejoining battle again- No Allen, that is final" He said firmly as Allen began to protest

"Now, I had better go. I have some things I need to attend to. I'll be back tomorrow" and with that, he stood up to leave, waving his wand and causing his chair to disappear

"You may re-join your friends at Grimmauld place as soon as you are released from here- I have had words with Sirius and he is more than willing to have you and Mai- Mrs Weasly said she was happy to help and look after her while you recuperate. Good evening"

And with that, he swept from the ward, robes billowing in his wake

Allen slowly woke from the deep sleep the Healers potions had put him in to a smell he couldn't quite place, but that made him feel deeply contented. His brain sluggishly tried to place the smell. Talcum powder... violets and sweets. He smiled slightly, it smelt kind of like Mai but of course it couldn't be because he was in the middle of nowhere in that stupid beat-up truck. Just as that thought occurred to him, he realised that he was oddly comfortable and that couldn't be right because he hadn't had one comfortable nights sleep in that scrap heap of a car. Now that he thought about it actually, he remembered that he wasn't in the truck because they had got on the boat but he wasn't on the boat either because the boat didn't have comfortable beds either. Slowly, like the sand trickling from an hour glass, the memory came back to him and with a great effort, he opened his eyes. The light blinded him initially and it took a good few minutes for him to adjust to its brightness, once they did however, a balloon of joy inflated inside of his stomach because at the foot of his bed, coloring in a picture with crayons was Mai. Unable to even form words, Allen just reached out his hand for her. Mai glanced up from her picture and a huge smile lit up her face

"Jibo!" She cried joyfully and scrambled her way up the bed to throw her small arms around his neck. Allen grinned too, his throat still chocked up, completely unable to form words. He buried his face into the back of her neck and breathed in her scent, his heart feeling too big for his chest.

"Hey princess" He croaked once his voice eventually returned to his body

"Papa missed you so much you know that?"

He released her and planted a kiss on the center of her forehead, causing her to giggle

"I missed you too papa" She said, she sat back on the bed and began petting his head

"You're all hurt" She stated, matter of factly and Allen smiled wryly

"Yeah, I guess I am" He laughed

"I'll make you all better" She stated again in a matter of fact tone, fussing around him in a rather mothering way. She tucked the blankets tightly around him, planted a kiss on her forehead and handed him the glass of water from his bedside table before resuming stroking his hair

"This will make you all better" She said

"You used to do that to me when I was sick and it made me feel better" She watched him expectantly. Playing to the part, Allen smiled brightly

"Wow, that is really working! I feel loads better. Thanks Mai"

A giant grin made its way across her face

"Are you coming home today then?" She asked "Dumbledore took me to another house and its all dirty and I miss you and you were away for aaaages"

Allen's joy at seeing Mai eventually began to fade under the weight of his exhaustion and he was actually rather relieved when Dumbledore returned to take her away. He felt terrible because he had missed her so much while he was away but every muscle in his body ached- even his chest was starting to hurt- reminding him that it was not-at-all amused that he had gotten it punctured mere days ago. He could barely raise his head when the healer- Allen had finally found out his name was Roufa came through the door. He clucked and fussed about the state that Allen was in a tinkered around the room enthusing about how adorable Mai was Allen barely took any of this chatter in but was rather grateful for the background noise it provided and the fact that he was not required to respond to any of it. Roufa straitened the pillow underneath his head and sat down on the side of the bed

"I'm sorry that we need to do this but I held the ministry off as long as I could. They want to talk to you now and I'm afraid I cant keep them at bay much longer" He watched Allen rather nervously but he just nodded wearily

"Knew they'de be here soon" He sighed

"It's ok. I'll be ok" He winced as he pushed himself back up the bed and a pain shot through his chest. Roufa ran back over to the bedside and helped the boy sit up properly

"When can I get home" Allen sighed, thinking of Mai and Harry and all the rest of his friends waiting for him and all of a sudden the ache inside of him that had been there since he found out he wouldn't be able to fight eased slightly, the nagging, insistent voice telling him that he had to get back, he had to get back, he had to get back and save them. Save them all before it was too late- quietened slightly and another voice started up, wondering what Grimmould place was like, how his friends were and what the next year at Hogwarts was going to hold. It didn't exactly drown out the other voice but at least it wasn't the only thing going through his head any more which also helped with his whole clinging onto sanity thing. The ward door was suddenly flung open and Allen was shocked to see the minister stride in, Percy Weasly trotting in his wake. Behind him, a toady looking woman, a middle-aged woman with a monocle of all things and about 3 other very disgruntled looking wizards filed in, each conjuring up a chair with a flick of their wands and sitting down, staring stoney-faced at Allen. Cornelius, the monocle lady and the toad faced lady sat closer to Allen, the rest of the wizards keeping their chairs at the wall, watching over the proceedings.

"Mr. Allen Walker- charged with the multiple counts of underaged magic in the presence of an entire town of muggles" He glanced up over the parchment at Allen, his eyes narrowed in dislike. Allen smiled at him serenely, taking pleasure in the irritation that flickered over the ministers face

"He performedHow do you plead to this charge?" He snapped.

Harry wondered through the house a small ball of discontent growing in his stomach, feeling pretty frustrated with his whole situation. He paused at the end of one of the corridors, having heard a strange noise. He cocked his head to one side and followed the sound all the way over to the room Sirius had given to Allen. He entered the room and found the source of the rhythmic 'thuds'- Allen was sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed throwing a ball against the floor, to bounce on the wall, to land back in his hand before beginning again. He glanced up when Harry entered the room before returning his gaze blankly to the wall but something about the way he shifted his body let Harry know he was welcome in. He closed the door behind himself and sank down opposite Allen. Allen changed the trajectory of the ball slightly and Harry caught it before bouncing it back. They kept this up for a while before Harry broke the silence

"Ron's prefect" He said, throwing the ball a little harder than he meant- Allen only just caught it and threw it back, a vaguely amused expression on his face

"Okay" He said "Are you jealous?" His tone was completely non-judgemental yet Harry couldn't help but feel ridiculously childish

"I don't think so" He said slowly and they fell silent for a while "It was just, I don't know, a little unexpected I guess..." His voice trailed off and he went back to passing the ball. There was an even longer silence before, the rhythm of the ball oddly soothing. Eventually, Harry spoke again, his voice quieter than before

"I keep on having nightmares... dreaming about the graveyard, you know?" He muttered, catching the ball and fiddling with it instead of passing it back

Allen dropped his hand to his side and kept silent, allowing Harry to speak

"I see Cedric" He said, staring pointedly at the ball he was playing with "My mum... my dad standing between me and Voldemort"

"Your parents?" Allen asked curiously

"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you that part" Harry said, having forgotten to tell Allen about what had gone on in the graveyard while he was away fighting that Akuma thing. He explained as best he could the priori incantatium spell and told Allen about his parents, about what they had said and about how Cedric had asked him to take his body back to his parents. Allen mulled this piece of information over

"I'm sorry" He said eventually

"That must have been really difficult for you"

Harry nodded silently and threw the ball back to Allen who caught it deftly. They passed it back and forth for a while before Allen spoke

"I feel useless" He said in a low voice. Harry frowned in confusion and opened his mouth to ask a question but Allen spoke before he could

"I know I can't fight like this, I know I can't rejoin the war unless my arm miraculously decides to re-attatch itself to my stump but I _want_ to go back. My friends are out there, fighting to pick up the slack I have left- people are out there dying because I am here- souls are waiting for me to release them and I am sitting here, doing nothing. And I know there is nothing anyone can do about it but I am so bitter and so angry that I feel the anger is following me around, seeping into everything and everyone. It's like... it's like I am poisonous"

Harry couldn't help but identify with what Allen was saying, he had felt that way a lot about his black moods- this then explained at least partially why they had seen so little of Allen. Though to be perfectly fair, he was well within his rights to be a little depressed, considering all that had happened to him. Harry had heard that Allen's hearing for performing magic out of school had been a few days ago. The adults had been trying to play it down, figuring that the less attention that was on him, the better, all things considered. There had been a lot less tension about his case too compared to the way it had been with Harry mainly because there was absolutely no way that the ministry could have pinned anything on him and everyone knew that the main reason they were even holding the court session was to make a splashy headline. They had already gone to town on his trial

"_Headmasters Adoptive Son Found in Middle of Carnage" _It had been the usual rubbish and had- naturally- not gone into any detail but instead just said that Allen had been found in a almost completely destroyed town half way across the world. It had decided not to mention that he had been found half dead or you know- that it hadn't been him that destroyed the town. Allen however was less concerned about this than the others seemed to be- and just shrugged it off saying philosophically

"They will find out eventually" before resuming playing poker with Mai. He had been ignoring Mrs Weasly's complaints that he was 'teaching her bad habits' and carried on with his new mission to teach her how to count the cards so that when she got all grown up, she would be able to beat everyone she came across in a card game. He reasoned that it was both a good way to teach her maths and a good way to keep her out of mischief. She hadn't been kidding about this creepy house and he was concerned that if he let her out of his sight she would get snatched by one of the hundreds of terrifying monsters that were lurking around every corner. Besides, poker was a perfectly acceptable past time. Healthy even. Yeah. He was an incredibly responsible father

/_skip to Hoggy-warty hogwarts/_

Allen craned his head over the crowds of people milling around the Hogwarts Express, searching for the blonde head of Luna's. Eventually, he spotted it and slid his way through the staring students

"Hey" He grinned as he caught up to her, tapping her arm. She turned around, and as her dreamy eyes focussed on him, a broad smile bloomed on her face

"Oh, hello there Allen. It's good to see you"

He smiled nostalgically, having missed her odd way of talking

"It's good to see you too Luna" He said warmly

"Sorry I've not really... been in contact with you over the Summer. Things have been a little, hectic"

Understatement of the century he thought wryly. Luna however seemed unperturbed by his radio silence over the past 3 months or so

"I was traveling with my dad- we were looking for the Crumple-horned snorkack so I haven't really been receiving any owls lately. In fact" She gazed rather dreamily into the distance "I don't think anyone from school has ever sent me an owl before" She continued to stare disconcertingly blankly at the space just to the left of Allen's head

"Ah... right..." He said uncertainly, rather wrong footed now

"We only got back two days ago" She continued dreamily

That sort of explained why she hadn't asked him about his summer- though he was rather surprised she hadn't noticed his disappearing from school two weeks early and the lack of contact prior to her hunting trip. Still, the lack of questions wasn't really bothering him that much. Everyone else was staring at him, muttering, pointing at his missing arm, sniggering unashamedly but Luna- she was just as she always was. Half a light-year away, tuning in to the mundane world only when something that interested her occurred

"So how did the hunting trip go?" He asked and happily boarded the train listening to her talk his ear off about the totally-real Crumple-horned Snorkack. They eventually found an empty compartment, grateful for the lack of staring students. Allen slumped in the corner and began reading sections of the Quibbler which never ceased to amuse him. The rhythmic thud-thud of the train on the tracks lulled him into a trance like state and he dozed off onto Luna's shoulder. He woke horribly after being hit in the face with some mysterious thick liquid. He flailed around with shock and fell off the seat with a thud, spluttering in shock, he spat out a globule of a thick pussy substance

"What the?" He stared around the compartment uncomprehendingly to see everyone else equally plastered with the stinking goo and Neville clutching a Mimbulus Mimbletonia with a look of remorse on his face.

"_Neville!" _He yelled irritably

"I am so sorry Allen" He moaned, reaching out a hand to the boy

"I swear I didn't mean it!"

Allen gripped the proffered hand and grunted in pain as he was hauled to his feet, but he couldn't help smiling as he looked around at their predicament and then laughing (silently) When Harry's crush (He thought the kids name was Chang or Cher or something) walked in on them, still covered in the gloopy substance. Hermione then helpfully siphoned it off them. She sat down next to Allen and smiled over at him and Luna

"You'll be glad to see Allen again after so long. You must have been worried sick" She smiled sympathetically at the girl. Luna gazed at her in mild confusion

"Well" Herione continued pointedly, matching Luna's confusion

"You know- it must have been hard for you knowing that he was out there fighting and that he... got hurt and..." Her voice trailed off slightly as Luna continued to look rather confused

"I'm not really sure what you mean" She said simply

Hermione made an odd little strangled noise in the back of her throat as she struggled to find some way to reason with Luna

"Don't you kno-"

"It's fine Hermione, drop it" Allen said quietly. Hermione looked scandalised but Ron took up the role of peacekeeper and changed the subject, telling them all about Malfoy being the Slytherin prefect. The nugget of knowledge had barely left her lips before the smug little snot banged the compartment door wide open

"What" Harry snarled as soon as he saw the little snobs face

"Manners Potter, or I'll give you a detention" He drawled back

"You see, I, unlike you have been made a prefect, which means that I unlike you have the power to hand out punishments"

"Yeah" Harry retorted "But you, unlike me, are a git. So get out and leave us alone. Allen laughed appreciatively and this drew Malfoy's attention, he cooly raised an eyebrow

"Tell me Potter, do you pick your friends solely based on the fact that their lameness exceeds even your own? I mean come on- you've got Weasly- the descendent of what truly must be the most pathetic wizarding family in history, then you have Longbottom who is without a doubt the thickest wizard in history, Loony- I don't even know _where_ to begin with that" He gestured disparagingly at Luna, whose multicolored specterspecs were flashing psychedelically in the light

"Then there is that little mudblood" He jerked his head to Hermione, his sneer becoming even more pronounced. Ron bristled but Malfoy plowed on looking increasingly self-satisfied at the reactions he was causing

"and finally, to top it all off, you've got a delusional amputee who believes in the monsters under his bed all following you around like the faithful little _doggies _that they are. I mean come on, I guess even you look sane in comparison to that. Ah-ah-ah" he said patronisingly, raising a consolatory hand out as he backed out of the door- Harry, Ron, Allen and Hermione had all surged to their feet as one. Ron and Harry already had their wands raised and both Hermione and Allen looked like they were ready to do the same

Laughing superiorly he slammed the door hard, causing the glass pane to rattle in its frame

"You know" Allen said through gritted teeth

"I really am starting to dislike that guy"

He dropped back into his seat and glanced up at Harry- who's face told him that yes, he had caught Malfoy's choice of words and had drawn the same conclusion as he and Hermione had. Malfoy knew about Sirius.

The steady drizzle soaked through their robes, chilling them all to the bone as they stepped from the warm comfort of the Hogwarts express to the rain-soaked station. Allen watched sympathetically as the first years filed off despondently after Professor Grubbly-Plank to the Great Lake where the row boats were awaiting them

"I do not envy them" He said following Ron and Harry to the carriages that waited for them

"There's not enough seats for all of us" Hermione said firmly as they approached

"Allen and I will go in this one. See you guys at the castle" She gripped Allen hard by the elbow and steered him in the direction of another carriage, leaving Harry staring rather oddly at the creepy black horses that drew the rickety contraptions and Luna looking rather surprised by Hermione's actions. Allen however knew exactly what she was doing and why and was not at all impressed. He didn't say anything and let the heavy silence settle around them as they took their seats. He was _not_ going to initiate this conversation

"Allen" Hermione began and his heart sunk strait to his boots

"Does Luna know what happened over the Summer?" She sounded rather teacher like Allen mused but he couldn't avoid her now that he was cornered

"No" He said quietly avoiding her eyes pointedly

"_Allen!" _She cried in exasperation

"How could you not tell her? More to the point, why hasn't she asked? You are missing a limb for crying out loud- what, has she just not noticed?" Hermione's bushy hair seemed to expand with her indignation and she put her hand on her hips, glaring at Allen who was still staring pointedly out the window at the rain streaming down the windows

"What does it matter if she knows" He said finally

"I mean, she knows I fight Akuma and so she probably has figured out that I lost my arm fighting them. What does it matter if she doesn't know the exact circumstances behind it all?"

"Allen" Hermione said, sounding slightly more sympathetic this time

"You can't just not talk about this stuff- you saw people die, you saw people you knew die and get hurt. You have been hurt yourself and you are still hurting. It's not fair to you or to her to pretend that none of this happened. I mean, you aren't the same person now that you were before the holiday, you know that and we both know that you are planning on rejoining the battle" Her voice wobbled slightly at this and Allen tore his gaze rather unwillingly from the window to look at his friend, a few tears had trickled down her cheek but she just swiped them away irritably

"Allen, where do you see this relationship going, if you are planning on leaving the wizarding world for the black order?" Then in a slightly nervous voice she continued on

"Do you think... maybe... you are trying to return to the 'Allen' that you were before the battle- before all this happened to you and that by not telling her and not facing up to the conversation you are going to have to have with her you will somehow be able to go back to the time when things were so much simpler because, I am really sorry, but that really isn't possible. You have seen too much and been through to much and Luna- well- she isn't going to understand. Not until you explain to her anyway"

Allen smiled and nodded

"I know" He stated simply

"I know things can't go back to the way they were. I'll talk to her, soon. I promise"

Hermione got up from her seat and joined Allen at the other side of the compartment, putting her arm around his shoulders

"I'm ok" He said earnestly, smiling at her

"Honestly, I'm fine"

"I know you are" Hermione said, hugging him gently

"I know you are."

Precisely two days later, Allen took Luna down to the Great Lake, to the spot that they had been on the first time he had really noticed her, when she had bandaged up his eye and talked to him as if he was a normal human being and not some circus freak with a black arm and cursed mark. He told her about the battle, about all the villagers that had died, about the handful he had helped save. He told her about Kanda and Lavi and Lenalee then he told her about Suman and about that fateful day that he had lost his arm. She listened, oddly attentively as he told her about Tyki and that healer Roufa hoped his arm would be able to rematerialise and that as soon as it did, he would be leaving Hogwarts and it was unlikely that he would return. He decided not to add that the reason he was unlikely to return was because he would probably die on this kamikaze mission and instead phrased it to suggest that he would just be too busy to come back. He watched sadly as the usual glow that surrounded Luna faded and her serene smile disappeared. With a horribly heavy heart, he broke up with her and his heart almost broke in his chest when she smiled and asked simply if he wouldn't mind still being her friend. Mutely, he nodded and her smile grew brighter and she lent in to embrace him gently, whispering quietly to him

'_everything is going to be OK' _and he thought he actually felt his heart break inside his chest.

Allen sighed as he fiddled with his eagle feather quill. He had finished '_Defensive Magical Theory'_ twice and had come to the conclusion that it was complete and utter bull. For someone who spent most of his life out fighting the monsters of the world, reading a book denouncing everything but the theoretical was more than just dull, it was a little insulting. He watched in vague amusement as Hermione- for the first time in her life- began causing a ruckus in the class. His face grew more serious however when Harry stood up and began retorting to Umbridge's snide remarks

"But this isn't going to prepare us for what is _out there_" He snarled

"There is nothing out there" Umbridge sneered, effectively getting a raise out of Harry, who was unable to restrain himself from retorting. Allen watched the two argue back and forth for a moment before he was unable to contain himself too

"Tell me, professor, do you think that Cedric killed himself?" He asked, his voice as calm and collected as he could make it, despite the fury building up inside of him

"Or do you think that all those people dying at the same time in Little Hangleton was just some freak, coincidental accident? The entire town was torched- there were bullet holes and craters everywhere yet the best you ministry can come up with is a _terrorist attack. _Tell me, exactly how much do you actually know about muggles and what is going on in their world because I can tell you now, they own nothing that would do that kind of damage and they certainly haven't mastered the skill of disappearing into thin air yet. You are refusing to see- refusing to face the facts and I can tell you now, you will regret that stubbornness when the Akuma finally come out of hiding and attack."

He was trembling slightly with rage now, his voice grew terse and strained. He glared up at Umbridge who looked smirked

"Now" She said softly

"Shall we look at what _you _say happened?" She gave a little simpering cough and her tone became incredulous

"Now _your _claim is that an army of... ah... what did you call them? Oh _yes_. An army of _akuma_ descended upon the town and destroyed it. And for some reason, you are the only person who knows that these creatures exist. They are certainly not in any government database, but I suppose we are to just take your word for it are we? You, who mysteriously disappeared from the last week of school while all this was happening. Without permission I may add..." She raised her eyebrow at this stage and paused rather pointedly before continuing

"Now we don't know exactly what happened in that tragic accident, however what we _do _know is that it wasn't some make-believe monster-under-your-bed or some dark lord brought back to life but instead was a very disturbed person. Now. I will have no more discussion of this in my class. It is not relevant to the subject that I am teaching and I am not giving you two boys a platform to spread your filthy little lies"

She turned sharply on her heel and strode back to her desk, sitting down primly and picking up a few papers, disappearing behind them, firmly ignoring the two boys.

"They are _not lies!" _Harry shouted, unable to contain himself

"Come here, mister Potter, mister Walker" Professor Umridge said in her sugery sweetest tone

Harry kicked his chair aside and strode up to her desk, Allen following in his wake. They stood in silence by her desk as she scribbled something down on a pink memo. She handed it to Harry, completely ignoring Allen

"Go see your head of house. Both of you" She intoned, her voice dangerously quiet. They both turned sharply and strode out of the room.

Umbrige leered over the top of her pile of marking papers at the two boys in front of her- Both sat with their heads down, in absolute silence, neither letting a single wince of pain reach their face. Allen was writing in spiky letters

"I must learn my place"

He payed no heed to the marks that were forming and re-sealing on his hand, but rather concentrated on the letters- one stroke down for the 'I' sharp angles on the 'M' He followed the pattern again and again till Umbrige finally called for them to stop and took them up to her desk. She smirked at the two boys and gestured for them to reach out their hands. After inspecting them carefully she said delicately

"Well, that didn't seem to make much of an impression. Tomorow night then? We shall try again- see if we have can't... make the message sink in a little _deeper. _You may go" She gestured them out of the room and returned her gaze to the papers she was marking as if nothing of importance had happened. Allen and Harry turned on their heels and strode from the room without so much as a backward glance

They repeated the same pattern for each detention, neither of them saying anything other than 'good morning' and 'good night' as they entered and left

Around the 4th detention, Allen turned to the shot a glance over at Harry. A crease had formed between his eyebrows and he was frowning subconsciously at his sheet of paper- Allen could tell that he was angry about missing his quidditch match and, glancing up to the marking table, he could tell Dolores had noticed too as she was looking even more self-satisfied than she normally did and that was saying something. He returned his gaze to his own paper and frowned irritably at the back of his hand. It was bleeding properly now and the cuts were only partially healing. He supposed this was because he only had the one hand to use so the wounds weren't being allowed to heal properly. Staring at his hand, he felt a sudden swelling of rage and protectiveness bloom inside him. The feelings were so strong, he stopped writing and had to consciously stop himself from vaulting over his desk and grabbing Umbridge by the throat. His hands were trembling with rage and he clenched them tightly, taking a deep breath in and blowing it out slowly. The rage slowly left his body, leaving only a small ember of anger burning in the pit of his stomach. He was surprised at himself really, he was usually so proficient at containing his anger he never really got carried away with his emotions. It almost felt like the rage had been someone else's. He wasn't even all that sure what had triggered the surge of emotions. Before he could work it out, a noise interrupted his thought process

"Mr Walker dear, you are here to do detention- to be punished. Not to stare off into the distance. Unless of course, you are willing to repent of your lies? Your hand must be hurting you. All you have to do is stop spreading your malicious lies and you will no longer need to be punished" She gave a simpering smile, clearly enjoying this immensely. Allen lost his temper at this- he had finally had enough of her. He replied to her leer with a cool, polite smile

"Do you really think that our convictions are so weak that we will repent of them just because you make us suffer a little pain? You clearly don't have any real convictions yourself or you would understand that this method of yours is going to have no effect at all. That is, unless you _do _understand that and just enjoy causing people pain"

He shrugged one shoulder and cocked his head on one side, pinning Umbrige with his gaze. Harry's quill stopped scratching too and he looked over at Allen half surprised and half curious. Umbriges eyes didn't leave Allen's as she said in her most sugary tone

"Mr Potter, please leave"

Harry made no move to go

"_Now" _She snapped, slightly less sweetly.

Harry ignored her and instead turned to Allen. Allen hesitated for the briefest of moments then nodded shortly to Harry. Umbridges smile had disappeared and her beady eyes followed Harry as he swept up his things and left the room, shooting a concerned look over his shoulder. Once Harry had exited the room, Umbrige he hopped off her seat (Allen held back a smile at the toad like action) and waddled her way over to Allen's desk. Her gaze was hard and furious

"Look, you little brat" she hissed in a surprisingly venomous tone

"You may wish to watch your step around me- in case you haven't noticed, your sole protector is slowly losing his power to protect you and soon you will be completely at the mercy of the ministry and I and let me tell you _boy"_ Her tone became even more scathing as she looked him up and down

"I will be informing the ministry as to _what_ you are and what you are up to and you can be sure, none of them will be tripping over themselves to help you"

Her wide mouth stretched into a disgusting leer as she stared down at Allen

"Pray tell me" He said his tone icy

"Exactly _what_ do you think I am" He had caught her emphasis of the word and wasn't really sure what she had meant but was sure that whatever it was, it wasn't good. Umbrige looked down her nose at him superiorly

"Goodness only knows what your mother bred with to produce you" She spat

"All I know is that whatever you are, you are most definitely not human- tell me, how many humans can remove their arms at will? Or create and seal a hole in their hearts?"

An icy chill swept over Allen as fury- definitely his own this time- coursed through his body

"I didn't remove my own arm" He said jerkily, trying to control himself

"Or pierce my own heart. I have already told you what happened to me- why on earth would I have done something like that to myself?"

Umbrige let out a tinkling laugh that sent shudders up Allen's spine

"Oh don't play so innocent, _half-breed. _Don't think I don't know what is going on. You are trying to cause panic amongst the wizarding world. Spreading these baseless stories about wars and destruction and monsters. You are trying to weaken us and scare us and get us to declare war on a non-existant enemy. Or better yet, on the Japanese ministry of magic, oh yes, you would like that very much wouldn't you? And you have used your freakish ability to try and make us think that you were attacked by some... some mythical creature!" Her face was twisted and spittle flew from her mouth as she shouted these accusations at Allen, a strange glint lighting up her eyes

"Well, you are not fooling me, _freak _nor are you fooling anyone else at the ministry. We know what you are up to and we will stop you. It is only a matter of time before Dumbledore is removed from his station and once he is..." Her smile grew even wider and a self-satisfied glint lit up her eyes.

Allen bent down and picked up his schoolbag, slung it over his shoulder and strode out of the room, Umbridges words of

"See you tomorrow" ringing in his ears

Allen slumped against a tree, sweat trickling down the side of his face as he watched Firenze cautiously. The centaur had backed off and was breathing heavily too, his sword hand dropped by his side wearily- Allen bumped into Firenze in the middle of the forest while he was sparring with an unfortunate tree- trying to force his arm to re-materialise. Firenze had found him and after hearing his plight had agreed to help out though he seemed now to be regretting his decision somewhat

"Maybe we should take a..." Firenze began in his low voice but before he even completed his sentence, Allen shook his head and pushed himself upright again, wiping his forehead with his hand.

"Lets go" He said shortly and took up a fighting stance again. Firenze shook his head, his expression concerned but before he could protest again, Allen charged. Firenze raised his sword and blocked a kick from Allen then took a swipe at the boys side. There was a dull clunk as Allen's arm momentarily materialised and stopped the blades motion. They were both so shocked that they stopped fighting. Firenze grinned widely but Allen just took up the fighting stance again. Firenze began to protest but Bane then stepped out of the shadows and took the sword from him

"Stop going easy on the foal Firenze- he won't grew stronger if you don't push him" He growled moodily

Allen twitched irritably at the word 'foal' but said nothing, just grateful that Bane had actually decided to help out- his initial reaction to finding out that Firenze was helping Allen had been less than pleasent. Bane swung the sword in a sweeping motion, testing its weight before he charged at Allen looking scarily serious about the attack. Allen's eyes widened and he twisted out of the way, ducking under the blade and bringing his fists, clenched together down on Bane's back with all his strength. Bane almost fell to the ground then spun around, eyes narrowed to slits

"I am so sorry" Allen gasped, hands clapped over his mouth

"I- you just surprised me and I- it was a total accident I swear" but Bane just laughed

"You are strong, boy. But are you strong enough?" And he charged again, sword held high.

They eventually called it to an end a few hours later after Allen threw up rather violently behind one of the bushes. Even though he very quickly raised his fist again- Bane decided that he'd done enough and- when Allen tried to protest, gave him a glare so stern that Allen quailed underneath it. Finally admitting defeat, he made his way back through the forest now struggling to find his way through the thick undergrowth- partially due to his exhaustion and partially die to the fact that it was now pitch black. He slowly dragged his weary body back to the castle functioning solely on auto-pilot. He had made his way up the first few flights of stairs before he really realised how late it was- curfew was 10 at the weekends and the corridors were utterly deserted. Feeling slightly more nervous, he forced himself to move more quickly. His body felt heavy, as if it weighed twice what it should and his brain was moving at a snails pace which was why he didn't notice Umbridge till her stubby little fingers enclosed around his arm.

McGonagall looked oddly normal dressed in her tartan dressing gown though the icy glare she was now giving Allen was seriously deducting any mumsy-points given her by the homey outfit.

"You know the rules better than anyone Walker, having hung out with those rule-breaking friends long enough. You usually know better though what on _earth _were you doing out at that time?"

"hem hem" Umbridge coughed pointedly. McGonagall nostrils flared and a vein began pulsing in her forehead

"What" She snarled irritably

"Oh" She simpered girlishly "I was just wondering exactly what you are expecting to achieve by asking _why_ Mr Walker here broke the riles. Surely all that matters is that he did break them?"

Allen snorted quietly- it figured that her mind would work that way

McGonagall's head turned sharply to him and she narrowed her eyes, clearly having heard him

"Yes it does matter, Dolores" She said tersely

"If I know _why_ he did it, I can figure out what punishment to give him"

Allen's smile disappeared at this

"Well, I think I know exactly what punishment to give him Minerva, so I can save you the trouble"

McGonagall's face became even more frosty

"I am his head of his house" She snapped

"And I am the one who is responsible for punishing students in my house"

"Ah well" Umbridge drew out, a very self-satisfied look in her eyes

"I think you will find that I now have control over punishing any students I see fit to"

She drew a sheet of paper out of her pocket and proceeded to wave it around in a very superior manner

"And I believe that... shall we say... 2 months of detentions with me in the evening should convince him that wondering around the school after hours is unwise"

A stunned silence followed these words. No one ever got handed that much detention for minor rule breaking. In fact , no one got that much detention for major rule breaking.

"Well. That aught to do the trick. Goodnight Minerva. I shall see you tomorrow Mr. Walker. 5pm. Sharp"

And with that, she waddled from the room, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.

Allen turned to stare at McGonagall in horror. She looked rather ruffled but scowled at the look he was giving her

"Oh for goodness sake, wipe that puppy dog look off your face. It's your own fault. getting caught by Dolores of all people wondering around at eleven o'clock, I _ask_ you" she flicked a finger to the door. Allen got to his feet, exhaustion hitting him all over again, like a sledgehammer. He was halfway to the door when McGonagall spoke again

"Mr. Walker, be careful, alright? Umbridge is gaining more power by the day and she already has her eye on you. Don't go giving her any more excuses to get you alone. You may go."

Allen barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes irritably (as if he wanted to be spending all this time slicing his own hand open over and over again) and exited the room, already thinking of his warm, comfy bed, trying not to think of all the staircases that stood between him and sleep or to think about the endless set of afternoons he was now obliged to spend with that toad of a woman who he was pretty sure now wanted to get rid of him by any means necessary. That was a problem for future Allen. That guy could deal with that. Currently the only thing Present Allen could be bothered worrying about was whether or not he would be able to maintain consciousness long enough to reach his bed before passing out.

Hogwarts really was beginning to suck he thought moodily as he finally made it to his fore poster bed and flopped face down on the covers

You knew things were bad when you were beginning to look back on the days you spent crammed in the back of a dusty, rickety army truck with nostalgia.

Still.

His arm had materialised for the first time and despite his utter exhaustion, he smiled.

He was going back.

His sleep was deep and dreamless until at about 4 in the morning, something seemed to switch the light on in his sleeping brain. He was waste deep in a thick black lake, the liquid holding him solidly in place as he stared across crumbling ruins half submerged in the liquid. He saw Lenalee slumped across one of the lumps of crumbling brickwork. She was dead, her eyes wide and blank. A huge big moon hung low in the sky and leered scarily down at him. Allen stared up at the sky and the words '_Half-breed' _Began scrawling themselves across the storm clouds, bleeding thick, red blood. Allen gasped in pain and grabbed his throbbing hand. The pain built and built to a searing level. Allen bent low at the waste, squeezing his eyes tight against the pain when all of a sudden, a hand touched his shoulder. The pain disappeared instantly and when he opened his eyes, it was too see the glassy water reflecting an azure blue sky with white fluffy clouds. Someone extended a hand into his field of vision to help him up. Raising his eyes, Allen saw Lavi who was grinning cheerily down at him. Smiling in relief, Allen accepted the hand and let Lavi pull him to his feet so they were both standing on the glassy surface of the lake. Allen tried to say thank you but no words came out. Lavi just smiled wider, seeming to understand anyway. He tugged on Allen's hand and let him across the lake to a grassy verge. Allen's eyes widened as he saw Lenalee, lounging at the edge of the lake, her feet dipped into its surface, she turned from Kanda who was sitting cross legged across from her and she waved cheerily to Allen who smiled in return. She was alive. that was good. Lavi led him on over the hill and to a solid wall of hedge. They stopped suddenly at this and Allen craned his head back to see where it ended, but the hedge seemed to extend on forever. He reached out his hand to touch it, however as soon as he layed a hand on the leaves, they melted from his touch and a smooth marble arch formed. Allen started forward and Lavi dropped his hand

"Go on" He said, speaking for the first time

"I can't go in there"

Allen felt slightly disappointed but walked through anyway. He turned to look back at Lavi but everything beyond the arch had disappeared into inky blackness. This didn't disturb him however and he just continued forward, stepping into a grassy clearing. An enormous table stretched out in front of him and he could see a shadowy figure seated at the end. Curious, he walked forward, his body feeling like it was moving through syrup. He walked for what felt like forever but slowly, slowly, came closer to the figure. He was about 10 meters away from the dark silhouette when something stirred in his memory

'_Mana?" _he wondered vaguely and stepped forward again with more excitement but something enclosed around his waste stopping him. He looked down blankly at his waste- white bandages were wrapped around his midriff. Following them with his eyes, he turned to see a blazingly white figure standing behind him. He was so bright it dazzled his eyes and he couldn't make out any features

"That is not Mana" The figure said gently, a silver mask flashing in the light

'_Who is it?' _Allen wondered silently

"Stay here" The figure said, his voice slightly more commanding now

'_But I can't' _Allen stated silently again _'I have to talk to him. He is the host of this party. It would be rude not to talk to him'_ Somehow this was perfectly clear to him and he knew, even though it felt rather dangerous, he knew he had to talk to this mysterious figure. The bandages tightened slightly around his waste

"Stay here" The white figure implored and Allen was almost swayed, the voice was so gentle and the figures arms looked so inviting, outstretched to him pleadingly but something else tugged at his heart. He had to see the man.

'_I am sorry' _He thought sincerely

'_I'll just be a minute'_

_"_You'll wake him" The figure said, a slight note of panic in his voice

"Then there will be nothing I can do to save you"

Allen turned to the figure and the urge to speak to him flooded his heart again

"_I'll be quick. I promise" _And regretfully but firmly, he pulled against the bandages which released him, zooming back to the white figure, rejoining the fabric of his white coat. The figure retreated slightly but Allen could feel the reproachful stare bore into the back of his neck as he approached the dark man at the head of the table. His steps grew slower and slower as he approached, a feeling of trepidation and dread filling him up as he neared him. But he had to. He stretched out his hand. He had to.

His finger tips brushed the shoulder of the man. Nothing happened for a second then all of a sudden, a huge rush of emotions blasted through Allen's body

Rage

The same protective rage that had filled his body in Umbridges office

Anger... righteous anger then...

Pain. Terrible pain and loss then...

Sorrow.

Such sorrow

It tore him up from inside and he fell to the ground under the weight of it as the dark figure rose

Sorrow

Allen woke with a gasp, the duvet falling off his body, soaked with sweat. He gasped and panted as his heart thundered in his chest. He raised a hand to his cheek. He was crying. But even as he wiped the tears from his cheek, the memory of the dream began to slip from his mind like sand through his fingers and even as he tried to recall why he felt so shaken, the details eluded him. Exhaustion hit him again and he slumped back onto his pillows, falling into a light and fitful sleep.


	46. Chapter 46

I'm really sorry by the way for the formatting. I promise it wasn't on purpose. My computer has begun to screw up royally recently and I'm not really sure what went wrong. It had paragraphs when i posted it. Promise. To make it up, I threw in another paragraph (properly separated this time at the end) Sorry again :/ 


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N HEEEEY GUUUUUYS! What's up!? Oh... you are wondering where I have been? *sweatdrops***

***Falls prostrate of the floor sobbbing* I AM SO SORRY! I HAD STUFFS AND THINGS AND I AM TERRIBLE AT TIME MANAGEMENT PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!**

**hopefully the next one wont take so long to go up?**

**XD Love ya all I promise**

"Morning!" Harry chirped a warm glow burning inside his stomach- Cho had spoken to him! And he hadn't made a _complete_ fool out of himself. The image of her smiling at him, her eyes sparkling, her hair perfect seemed to be burned into his retina and the helium balloon it had inflated in his stomach his stomach hadn't deflated even slightly

"What are you so pleased about?" Ron grunted, still bleary eyed and looking like he hadn't slept all night

"Ahh... quidditch later" Harry lied, smiling widely as he slid in beside Ron and piled food onto his plate, feeling all of a sudden ravenous

"Listen" Ron said rather conspiratorially "Wanna go down a bit early, just so I can you know, warm up a bit before practice?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically, noting the concerned look on his friend face and silently hoping that his friend was going to be better than he thought he was going to be. He wasn't exactly sure how he would deal with it if Ron was kicked of the team but there was no point in worrying about it just yet.

"Look, I don't think you should" Hermione interjected

"You both have a lot of homework to do"

Allen gave a rather animalistic growl from beside her

"Do _not_ mention that word in my presence Hermione" He scowled, brandishing the piece of parchment he was currently scribbling on rather more violently than was perhaps necessary.

"This essay for McGonagle is killing me and I still have Potions... and Ancient Ruins. And detentions with Toadfessor Umbridge" His eyes widened as he realised what he had just said "Professor! I mean Professor!" he cried over Ron's raucous guffaws. Allen buried his face in his hands

"It's not my fault" He groaned

"I've spent all my detentions calling her that in my head in silent payback. It makes me feel better. Though now I am beginning to worry I'll accidentally call her that to her face"

"Oh please do!" Ron begged, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes

"I know she'd probably behead you and all but man that would be so funny"

Hermione pursed her lips in disapproval as Harry and Ron both tried to make their own spin-off's of Umbridge's name- including classics such as 'Bum-bridge' and 'loath-essor' she muttered 'childish' under her breath and impatiently pushed Allen's arm aside to make way for the tawny owl that was bearing her copy of the Daily Prophet. The Owl hopped impatiently on one leg and flapped his wings frantically in an attempt to keep his balance as Hermione untied the newspaper. Its wings clipped the edges of both Hermione and Allen's head as it flew off. Allen shovelled a forkful of sausages in his mouth and lent across to read the front page over her shoulder. Hermione gave him a rather poisonous look and shuffled around in his seat a little so he couldn't read it causing Harry and Ron to erupt into laughter again. Harry had just passed his Transfiguration essay over to Allen who began alternately copying and editing sections when Hermione let out a gasp

"Look at this" She flattened the paper out on the table and pointed to one of the headlines

"Sirius!" Harry, Ron and Allen immediately surged forward and seized the paper which promptly tore down the middle

"So Lucius _did _see him then" Allen said grimly as he read the passage.

"What?" Ron said looking alarmed

"Didn't you catch it? Malfoy- when he got on the train... he mentioned something about 'dog' and we just sort of guessed, you know, seeing as the Death Eaters know he is an animagus now"

Harry read on through the rest of the article rather glumly

"Hey guys" He said "Look"

He pointed to a small section at the bottom of one of the pages

"Stirgus Podmore" Ron read slowly

"Hey... isn't he..."  
>"Shut up Ron" Hermione snapped quickly before he could complete the sentence. They conspired for a while, leaning close so they couldn't be overheard before Ron and Harry left for the Quiddich pitch looking rather guilty as they scurried out of the Great Hall under the baleful gaze of Hermione. Allen sniggered and added concluding sentences to his and Harry's essays before scooping the rest of his books back into his bag along with an entire bread basket of rolls<p>

"What!" He said defensively at Hermione's look

"Brain food! I need it!"

Hermione shook her head, smiling despite herself

* * *

><p>"Hang on half a sec and I'll come join you. I need to finish the translation for Professor Victor too" She grabbed her bag too and joined him as he rather dejectedly sloped off to the library.<p>

Later on that evening, Allen was sat in the middle of the common room, locked in a furious Jenga battle with Mai, trying to ignore the arguing between Ron and Hermione. He paid a bit more attention however, when a letter from Percy arrived for Ron. His expression became increasingly incredulous as Ron read the letter out loud- that kid seriously was the most patronising, pretentious idiot to ever exist. He gathered Mai up in his arms at 9 o'clock and was relieved to see that Ron and Hermione were making nice again. Seriously, it would go an awful lot easier for the both of them if they would just admit that they liked each other but neither seemed likely to do that any time soon.

"You know Mai, guys can be real idiots sometimes" He sighed staring seriously at the sleepy little girl.

"I'd stay away from them if I were you" he frowned sternly

"I'm only 5 Daddy! I don't have a boyfriend" Mai giggled

" 'Sides, my friend told me boys have cooties" She wrinkled her nose cutely at this idea and stuck her tongue out in disgust. Allen laughed and kissed the top of her head

"I pity any guy that tries to date you Mai, seeing as they will have Hagrid, Dumbledore, Harry, Ron and the Twins to get through before they can get close to you" He gently teased her a little longer about dating and read her a short story before putting her into bed. He waved goodnight to Madame Pomfrey before exiting the Hospital wing and making his way back up to the common room, hoping that by now Ron and Hermione would have sorted everything out. He was relieved to see when he returned that they were being civil to each other again, and Hermione was even helping Ron out with his Astronomy homework which was a good thing too considering the little he had seen of the essay. The day Ron had made friends with Hermione had been a good day indeed for his grades Allen thought wryly as he curled up cat-like in one of the armchairs near the fire and started to fill out Ron and Harry's dream diaries

"What are you doing those for" Hermione demanded, staring in outrage at the dream diaries like they had personally offended her

"They're hardly taxing and you've got plenty homework on your plate as it is" She shot rather reproachful looks to Ron and Harry

"We didn't make him!" Ron protested defensively

"He asked to do them"

Allen grinned rather sheepishly over the top of the parchment

"I did Hermione, they are really fun to do- you can make up the weirdest stuff and I can't do it myself any more as I dropped the subject. I wish our other homework was this fun. I mean look at this one- for reference Ron, on Friday, you dreamt that you flew on a green Hippogriff to a marshmallow mountain where you had a picnic on the back of an Elephant with a civilised, Persian Troll" Ron snorted with laughter

"Cheers mate! Hey, what're you doing Harry?"

Harry had fallen to his knees on the common room floor and was staring intently at the flames in the fireplace

"It's Sirius" He said calmly, pointing at the fire where- indeed- Sirius' head was sitting amongst the flames, looking mildly amused at the expression of shock and disbelief on Ron, Hermione and- Allen's face

"Good to see you Harry! I was beginning to worry that you'd go to bed before the common room emptied"

Allen frowned at this

"Have you been popping in and out of the fire to check and see if the room was empty Sirius? What if someone had seen you?"

Sirius rolled his eyes irritably at Allen "Whatever. It was fine wasn't it? I'm sure you'd have heard by now if any one had spotted me. Has any one told you that you are 15 going on 40? Right old party pooper. I needed to come anyway. There was some stuff in that letter you sent me Harry that it just wouldn't be safe to answer by post"

* * *

><p>Allen smarted slightly at Sirius' snappish retort and recommenced filling in the dream diaries, absent mindedly as he tuned in and out of their conversation. Sirius offered some pretty useful information and seemed to have no qualms about telling them everything he knew which was a refreshing change from most of the adults Allen had dealt with. He was made to feel slightly better when Sirius told them about Umbridge's political career- at least he wasn't the only person she had ever persecuted. She seemed rather vindictive against everyone that wasn't within her strict definition of what was acceptable- a definition which seemed to be restricted to pure blood wizards as far as he could tell. Everything was going fine until Harry shot down Sirius's idea to come to the next Hogsmede trip- he seemed to take greater offence at Harry reprimanding him for being reckless than Allen and he very quickly made up some half- arsed excuse and disappeared from the fire with a 'pop'<p>

Harry re-joined Allen in detentions mere days later after exploding in Umbridge's class (again). Having both boys in detention again seemed to spur Umbridge's vindictive mood on as she kept both boys there till midnight. Hermione and Ron waited up loyally however Allen was beginning to wish they hadn't- not that it wasn't a nice gesture, or that the murtlap essence wasn't helping but both seemed intent on forcing Harry and Allen to tell one of the teachers about the detentions. Harry seemed to be rather stand-offish about telling Dumbledore and Allen wondered silently if something had happened between the two. Harry really did sound rather bitter

"But I'm sure he would _want _to know" Hermione insisted

"Look we can't tell him" Allen said exasperatedly

"Or anyone for that matter. I don't think you really grasp this Hermione, there is nothing any one can do to stop her- she has the entire ministry of magic behind her. If we told a teacher of course they would try to stop her but all that would happen is that they would be fired or a new decree would come out and she would know that she had managed to get to us. We aren't going to go whining to the adults. Its not as if its really all that painful anyway, its just a matter of endurance and we will outlast her"

Hermione looked for a moment like she would like to press the matter but Ron thankfully chipped in

"Just drop it, Hermione"

She mercifully took his advice but then started off on another tangent- Allen saw within second where she was heading with it- it took Harry a little longer to catch up but when he did...

"Not a chance Hermione! Are you mental? Me? A teacher?"

Hermione and Ron preceded- very unwisely in Allen's opinion- to turn up the sarcasm and push every. Single. One of his buttons and sure enough...

"LISTEN TO ME!" Harry bellowed. He really was getting rather more adept at controlling his temper Allen thought as he raised his hand out of the murtlap essence and inspected the slightly less red skin. He was not going to intervene he decided in this rant. Ron and Hermione really needed to listen to what Harry was saying. Sometimes he did wonder if they really realised the effect all these near-death encounters had on their friend. Granted they had been there for a lot of them, but in most cases, had been absent at the worst stages and they had not been there for his nightmarish experience last Summer. They needed to understand the full extent of what he had been though and though being shouted at was not necessarily the most pleasant way to hear this, it was still important. Eventually things settled down slightly and Harry agreed to think about their proposals. The two slightly shame-faced teens disappeared off into their dorms leaving Allen and Harry in the common room by themselves

"Reparo" Harry muttered, jabbing his wand at the bowl he had smashed and looking rather miserably at the spilt Murtlap essence

"Here" Allen said kindly and pored half his bowl into Harry's. Harry accepted this with a grunt of thanks and sunk his hand back into the bowl, staring despondently into the glowing embers in the fireplace

"What do you think?" He muttered eventually

"What?" Allen said rather lightly "About how much your life sucks or about you teaching?" Harry smiled despite himself

"About me teaching, smart ass" Allen smirked

"I think you know as well as I do that it is a good idea. Plus, it'll give you a channel for all that angst you are carrying around about Umbridge. Maybe prevent you from biting her head off in the middle of class again and irritating her so much that she keeps detention going till midnight" He stared rather sternly at Harry who chuckled

"You may laugh" Allen said in a mock-angry tone "But I am rather fond of my only remaining hand and I'd rather not carve the words 'I must learn my place' strait through it, if its all the same to you that is" Harry stuck his tongue out at his friend and yawned widely

"You may have a point" he said, wiping the oily essence off his hand and wrapping it in a bandage

"I'm too tired and irritated to think about it anyway. Off to bed I think"

Allen awkwardly wiped the murtlap essence off his hand using the side of his bowl too and frowned at the bandage Hermione had left for him

"Oi, wait up there mate" He said, catching Harry by the sleeve of his robe as he walked past

"Give me a hand" He said, then sniggered rather childishly at the pathetic joke

"Quite literally I mean, I can't put the bandage on with one hand. Man I need my bed" He groaned. Harry laughed and obliged.

"You really need to get this whole missing-arm-thing sorted out" He said as he tied the bandage in a neat little bow

"Oh _really" _Allen said, his voice dripping in sarcasm

* * *

><p>"Wish I'd had <em>that <em>idea earlier on! Would have made my life sooooo much easier" "All right!" Harry said mock- defensively raising up his hands "It was just a suggestion..." He laughed as he dodged a swipe from Allen and ran lightly up the staircase to his awaiting four-poster bed with Allen hot on his heels

Allen dug his ancient ruins textbook out of his bag and unstoppered a new bottle of midnight blue ink awkwardly with his teeth. He spat the cork out and dipped his quill in, taking a second to appreciate the smell of new parchment and ink. He had no more than put quill to parchment before Fred and George appeared out of nowhere

"What's up bud?" George said loudly, shattering the peace and quiet of the common room and causing Allen blot the pristine scroll.

"We have a proposition for you" Fred chipped in, popping up on Allen's other side, ignoring the scandalised look he was giving them

"Yeah" George chipped in

"We hear you are rather adept at potion making and we were looking to expand Weasly Wizard Wheezes so we are honoured to offer you a position as chief potions-maker!"

Both twins grinned identically at Allen with puppy dog like excitement. Allen considered them for a moment, assessing whether or not they were serious

"When you say expanding, you mean employing more people than yourselves and Lee right?" Allen smirked

"Hey!" George protested "You can't bad mouth your own company like that! You'd better watch or I'll dock your pay" Fred nodded emphatically, backing his twin up

"I get paid?" Allen asked excitedly

"Ah. Well. Not so much, but you _do _get the honour of knowing that your work will go towards the destroying- Umbridge effort and lets be honest, that is all the payment you need"

Allen considered this for some time, with both twins giving their very best plaintive looks

"All right, fine" He said eventually "But I absolutely refuse to take part in any first-year-testing. Not that I don't think there isn't enough for a few to go missing here and there, but Hermione is scary and she'd have my head if she caught me"

"Understandable demands" Fred said seriously

"Now, as a first task... exactly how much do you know about getting rid of painful purple pustules?"

The twins led Allen up to their dorm where they seemed to have reconstructed their four poster beds into a lab. A sheet hung from the corner of one poster bed to the other, cordoning off the corner of the dorm. Allen and the Twins ducked through the drapes, relieving an impressive set up. Crooked shelves climbed the height of the walls stacked with tattered books, an assortment of dusty, barely-clinging-on-to-life plants and a myriad of glass bottles and vials. Some of these contained oddly coloured liquids and others, animal parts, suspended in preservative liquid.

"Don't your room mates mind you guys doing experiments in here?" Allen asked as he inspected the impressive collection of ingredients the twins had amassed

"Nah... they stopped complaining" Fred said, grinning rather creepily. Allen looked appraisingly at them and decided not to pursue that line of inquiry any further. He knew how devious the twins could get and as pranking went, they operated on a whole other plane from everyone else

"Oookay... now lets see these pustules"

"Not a chance" The twins chorused, backing away from him nervously

"They are not in a place we frequently display to the public" George said darkly and Allen suddenly noticed that neither had sat down since they entered the dorm room and both were looking very uncomfortable. He added two and two, coming to a quick conclusion as to the exact location of these pustules. Trying not to laugh, he set up their small cauldron and began poking through some of their ingredients

"That's fine, there are some things I don't need to see. Could you at least tell me what you took that caused this?"

Fred nodded and rummaged through a pile of parchment that was being held in place by a mug of Butterbeer

"Here" He said, handing a rumpled scrap of paper over to Allen, then sniffed the top of the flagon before shrugging and downing the contents

"We were testing a new recipe for our 'Skiving Snackboxes' and something went a bit wrong"

Allen accepted the piece of paper and poured over the scrawling writing intently. Fred and George shuffled about impatiently, both looking incredibly uncomfortable

"Right" Allen said slowly

"I think I see the problem here- purple pustules you said right?" Fred nodded in conformation

"Okay- well see here, you used Knotweed and Rattlesnake skin in the same potion- it can cause boils and suchlike things. Hang on- you don't have any murtlap essence here do you? Hermione has some if you don't..." He rummaged through the glass bottles muttering under his breath

"Ah here!" He said triumphantly pulling one of the bottles out

"You shouldn't need much" The twins gabbled their thanks and snatched the bottle from him, running off to the bathroom. They emerged moments later with a much more relaxed demeanour to find Allen sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor making a few alterations to their recipe, using his knee as a table. He raised his head as the two entered the little lab again and grinned

"Better?" The twins nodded emphatically

"I really missed sitting down" George said dramatically, wiggling his bum around on the floor with a ridiculous, blissful expression on his face. Fred and Allen laughed

"What are you up to now, my new favourite human being in the whole wide world?" Fred asked curiously

"Oh, making a few alterations to your recipe" Allen said absently, scoring 'rattlesnake skin' out of their recipe and adding 'powdered crow's claw' in its place

"Here, lets give this a go" He prodded his wand at the base of the cauldron and soon had a little procession line going, with the twins preparing the ingredients as he tended to the potion. Fred and George followed his orders obediently and an hour or so later, a pale purple potion was bubbling away merrily between them

"That should be it" Allen said, putting the flame out and waving his wand over the potion. It bubbled and thickened as he did so, turning a slightly deeper shade of purple. They poured the glutinous product into a tray and with a wave of George's wand, the substance solidified. Allen scribbled a few calculations down on a sheet of parchment before carefully measuring out a 3cm by 1cm rectangle

"That should be the correct dosage" He said, with a little less confidence in his voice than perhaps you would like. He examined the sweet momentarily, then shrugged and popped it into his mouth, wrinkling his nose in disgust before swallowing

"We'll have to see if we can do something about the flavour" He noted and George scribbled something down on his clipboard. Both the twins stared expectantly at Allen who blinked owlishly beneath their gaze

"Maybe the dose wasn't..." But he hadn't even finished the sentence before blood began trickling out of his nose

"Oh good" Fred said in relief, making a note on George's clipboard

"Though we may increase the dosage slightly, to make the effect a little more dramatic. Hang on, that looks like a lot of blood"

Allen had raised his gloved hand to wipe away the trickle and his previously white glove was soaked in blood

"Oh shoot" Allen said thickly through the nosebleed

"I forgot. The anticoagulation effect- it must be the cut on my hand. Could you give me a hand guys, take the glove off. Its my hand that all the blood is coming from, not my nose"

George looked at Allen in confusion but Fred just did what he said, pulling the glove off and untying the bandage wrapped around his hand. Sure enough, the cuts underneath were bleeding rather heavily and George turned a rather delicate shade of green

"Grab the yellow bottle there- yeah the stuff that looks like oil" Allen said patiently, hoping that the twins weren't going to faint on him as that would be terribly inconvenient. Thankfully however, they seemed to pull themselves together. Fred obediently unstopped the little bottle and pored the contents onto Allen's hand, his own hands shaking slightly as he did so. The twins watched with baited breath, concern apparent on their face as the blood slowed to a trickle, then stopped. All three boys heaved a sigh of relief

"I might need to change a couple things there" Allen said faintly slumping back against the bed

"Maybe dial down the vampire bat venom _juuust_ a little" He frowned in mild irritation at the sheet of parchment which was now spotted with scarlet droplets of blood, obscuring some of the instructions.

"Where did you get that cut from?" George asked seriously as he wiped the extra blood off Allen's hand, revealing the message 'I must learn my place'- Allen grimaced internally. He had not intended on letting either twins in on that secret

"Oh _that _cut... " He said rather dismissively "yeah, that's a souvenir from Umbridge's new and exciting twist on writing lines- get this, you write lines but instead of writing it in ink, you write it in your own blood. Cool huh!" He grinned widely but Fred and George looked utterly appalled despite his jovial tone

"You have _got _to be kidding me" George said, aghast

"That is illegal in so many different ways"

"Ah but you are forgetting, my dear friend, she is from the ministry. The organisation that _writes _the laws" Allen pointed out, waving his wand at his glove, returning it to its pristine white colour before pulling it back on his hand with his teeth in an attempt to stop the twins from gaping at the scar

"It's really not that big of a deal. I can deal with a little pain. Besides, kicking up a fuss wouldn't help anything, it'd only increase her smugness level and I think if her ego inflates any further, she will smother everyone in the school. No. Indirect rebellion is the best way to go I think so yes, I believe I will take you up on your job offer. Lets give her as much hassle as we can"

The twins cracked identical evil grins

* * *

><p>"Sounds like a plan to me" They chimed<p>

Over the next few weeks, the twins room-mates got used to seeing Allen wonder in and out of the dorm. Lee had assimilated to Allen's presence quickly and seemed to greatly appreciate the significant reduction in negative side-effects from their tests since Allen began proof-reading the twin's experiments and altered them when needed. Allen was in the middle of researching the theory behind attaching enchantments to inanimate objects when Fred entered the lab, holding a basket full of assorted fruits, sugars and chocolates

"Figured if we want to shift any of our product, we need to make it edible" He threw over his shoulder at Allen as he dumped the stuff in the middle of the floor. Allen crawled over to the wicker basket which no doubt had been obtained from the schools good-natured house elves. They seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for the twins and had even (on occasion) subtly dropped hints as to the exact times Snape would be out of school. They of course said nothing further, and any liberties the twins would take of Snape's supply cupboard during this time was nothing to do with them and was completely coincidental. Allen began poking through the contents, scrutinising them carefully

"Hm. Yeah, some of these might work. I could get the essence of the flavour out and then the acidity wouldn't mess with the potion" He excitedly, grabbed a handful of blackberries and placed them in a silver dish. He enthusiastically seized one of his textbooks and began rifling through it. Fred looked on in amusement as Allen pored over one page titled 'Dehydration spells' then a mischievous smirk spread over his face

"Here" He said innocently, handing Allen a mug of tea and a plate of custard creams. Allen mumbled his thanks an absent-mindedly began picking at the biscuits as he noted down a few of the spells. He had just found a chapter on isolating the separate components of an object when he paused and frowned slightly.

"Something wrong?" Fred asked, rather hopefully. Allen continued frowning at his hand in some confusion

* * *

><p>"I don't really know" He said slowly "I feel a little..." Here was a loud 'pop' and Allen disappeared, to be replaced by a bright yellow canary.<p>

George heaved his backpack higher on his shoulder, feeling unduly nervous. There were no teachers around, and it was very unlikely that any of the students were going to snitch on him however he couldn't help but feel rather on edge, with a backpack full of potion ingredients stolen from Snape's cupboard and Professor Sprouts Herbology garden. He entered his dorm with some relief, but did a double take as his twins raucous laughter rang out. He curiously entered the lab to find Fred rolling around on the ground laughing uncontrollably. He was seriously considered the thought that his other half had slipped from their usual mad-scientist mentality into full blown insanity when he noticed a tiny one- winged canary tweeting madly at his brothers feet. He bit back a laugh as he pieced together what had happened. Kneeling down on the floor, he held out one had, into which the tiny bird hopped, chirruping rather dolefully

"Fred" He said reproachfully as he cradled the small bird in his palm

"Did you trick Allen into taking the canary creams? You know we aren't supposed to prank the weaker pranksters. They are like little babies, you have to teach the about the cold, hard world of pranking slowly and with kindness!"

Fred paused his raucous laughter with difficulty and gasped out

"It was just too good an opportunity to miss!" before breaking down again, clutching his ribs

George shook his head disapprovingly at his twin and sat down in the opposite corner of their tent fort, gently stroking the shivering bird with with his little finger. After roughly twenty minutes, he held Allen up and scrutinised him closely, gently prodding him

"When will this wear off" He said curiously as Allen chirruped impatiently, stretching his wing out and pecking at it irritably.

Fred shrugged absently as he flicked lazily through one of the books lying at his feet

"Dunno. Half an hour maybe. It was my first attempt at the spell and I haven't tested it till now. Seems to have worked rather well, though in retrospect, I may change it so that they turn you into a human sized canary... too dangerous when they are small"

He yawned and stretched out on the floor, in a deliberately lazy manner, ignoring his brothers look of disapproval. Allen shuffled his clawed feet around on the mountainous landscape that was George's hand. Being a canary, he decided, was far more inconvenient than funny. He would have to see if there was any way to alter the spell so that it only lasted five minutes or so. This was getting ridiculous. He was just beginning to wonder how to communicate to the twins that they needed to look for a counter curse when he began to feel rather odd again. He hopefully extended his wing again and shook it out. A couple feathers fell out and a few minutes later he grew back into a human.

"Hey man, you feel OK?" Fred asked, sitting up and digging out his clipboard from a stack of discarded parchment

"Oh, yeah, I am fine" Allen said impatiently waving his hand dismissively

"Now what spell did you use? Or was it a potion?"

* * *

><p>George watched Allen and Fred as they made notes on the clipboard and shook his head in mild amusement. It looked like his little baby prankster had graduated after all<p>

Between the DA, detentions with Umbridge and Weasly Wizard Wheezes Allen was struggling to make his way down to train with Firenze and Bane as often as he would like. He was beginning to get rather frustrated with the whole thing to be honest- he had thought that he was making progress but now all progress had ceased and he was still incapable of holding his arm's form for longer than a few seconds. He was struggling to sleep now and nightmares full of tortured Akuma souls plagued him when he did succeed in dozing off. Every day he wasted, souls were suffering and this increasing pressure was causing him to become more and more withdrawn and driven. His friends were becoming increasingly concerned for him and in an attempt to force him to take a bit of time off, Harry and Ron unashamedly guilt tripped him into coming to the quidditch match

"You are coming to see us, right mate?" Harry had said off-handedly during their practice session for vanishing charms

"Err.." Allen had replied vaguely, with an uncertain look on his face

"It's just, you know" Ron had interjected, a hopeful and pleading look in his eyes

"Seeing as it is my first game and all, I really hoped all my friends would be there" He ducked his head meekly

"It'd really make me feel so much better, knowing you and Hermione were in the crowd, cheering me on you know. But I mean, if you have better stuff to be doing..."

So Allen found himself walking side by side with Hermione, Mai and Luna who was sporting a sincerely impressive lion's- head hat. They filed into the weathered and battered stands, finding a bench near the top so that they would have a better vantage point of the pitch. The wooden benches were covered in a thin layer of frost, as was the quidditch pitch and this caused the entire stadium to glitter and sparkle coldly in the weak sunlight

"Good conditions for playing" Hermione said, surveying the sky

"I remember reading in 'Quiddich through the ages' that a 'frosty winter's morning without too much sun' was Gwennog's preferred condition to play in"

Allen smiled slightly at this, it was a testimony to Hermione's dedication that she read into her friend's sports so that she could try and understand their fascination with it, though it was still pretty obvious that she understood little beyond the semantics of the game and the main reason she attended was to support Harry and Ron. Allen sat down next to Luna, with Mai on his other side. His relationship with Luna had gone through a rather awkward phase after their breakup but after having a conversation with her, he realised that the awkwardness had purely been on his side and she had no problems with returning to their previous friendship. To be perfectly honest, this decision had hardly effected their relationship at all. Sure there was less in the way of physical contact but they really hadn't been much of a PDA couple anyway. He began to wonder actually if he had ever really felt 'in love' with her at all- when you read of these things in books, they always made it sound so passionate and strong whereas in his case, he had just found her really easy to talk to- with her absence of judgement (and some would argue, perspective). It had been a refreshing change from most of the people he had met and he felt she had so little experience with relationships of any sort due to others intolerance of her that she perhaps hadn't fully understood her feelings either. Regardless of this, he did not regret their relationship and his fondness for her quirky ways had not lessened at all and he was now amusing himself by watching Hermione's strained expression while Luna re-kindled the argument about the existence of Heliopaths. They ceased their bickering when the match started and focussed their attention instead on the pitch. The Slytherin side started up a spiteful song and Allen watched, anguished, as Ron became more and more flustered, fumbling each and every goal. He cringed inwardly remembering the delicate way with which Harry had danced around the subject when they had asked him how good Ron was as Keeper. He was beginning to understand why now- perhaps under different circumstances, he would be better but it was obvious that he was immensely insecure and the chanting on the Slytherin side was completely knocking him off. With each verse, Allen grew more enraged and even when Harry finally snatched the fleeing golden snitch from underneath Malfoy's nose, he was barely containing his rage. His body was literally trembling and both Luna and Hermione were watching him with some concern

"Allen..." Hermione began nervously

"Are... are you all right?"

Allen wasn't even capable of speech, the rage building up inside him was so strong. He felt a flash of power, similar to that of his innocence and the wood of his chair that he was gripping splintered beneath his grip. Mai reached over and wrapped her arms around Allen's neck, hugging him tight

"People shouldn't make fun of other peoples families" She said quietly to Hermione, uncharacteristically serious. Allen released the chair and his rage cooled almost instantly. He wrapped his arms around Mai's tiny body and squeezed her gently

"When did you become so grown up, eh?" He said gently teasingly, though with just a hint of sadness in his eyes. Mai just giggled then spun around as Luna gasped and pointed to the pitch. The four teens watched helplessly as Harry and George pummelled Malfoy's prone figure. The entire stadium fell silent as all the students watched the fight in awe. The mood as the students filed out of the pitch was less exited and jubilant than usual and low mutterings and whispered conversations were all centred around the same subject- Harry and George

"... Completely unacceptable. Betcha they'll get expelled"  
>"... a right stuck up prick- deserved every punch"<p>

"Wish I had been able to give a hand!"

* * *

><p>"Can't believe it!"<p>

Allen dropped Mai off at her room and retired to the common room to wait on Harry's return. Hours later, the common room door swung open and Harry climbed in, followed by the twins. They were all white as sheets and seemed shell shocked. Harry was still grasping the tiny golden snitch that he had won the match with. Its wings were flapping in a weary manner against his knuckles in a pointless effort to free itself

"We are banned" Harry said hollowly

"From ever playing again"

* * *

><p>Fred and George stared blankly ahead as Angela struggled to digest the news that she had lost both her beaters and her seeker in one fell swoop. She stumbled from the fireplace up to her room looking utterly devastated and the twins soon followed suit. Watching their devastated faces planted a seed of anger in Allen's stomach, completely different from the bursts of rage he had felt over the past few months, this was a slow burning hatred and he swore then that he would pay that foul woman back for the pain she had caused his friends. He was just beginning to string together a plan when Hermione let out a cry of joy- Hagrid was back!<p>

The return of Hagrid was causing equal levels of joy and stress in the group as they all knew without a shadow of a doubt that Umbridge would be after his skin and with the frequent arrival of Educational Decrees, she was becoming increasingly dangerous to cross. This however was not dampening Allen's determination to pay her back for hurting his friends so deeply. Though, he now that he had Harry joining him in detention, the whole affair felt a little more bearable- as bad as that made him feel. He had begun concocting his plans for revenge with the twins, who had wholeheartedly backed his idea with a single-minded determinedness he had rarely seen them demonstrate before. They had taken the loss of their freedom very seriously and had decided that Umbridge had graduated from a mild inconvenience to a full blown enemy, and they were out for blood. The thought of defying her in such a way helped him get through the next few days, though when it came to her inspection of Hagrid's lesson, he actually had to recite the plans for the prank in his head at a mental shout to distract himself from the overwhelming urge he had to punch her in the face. The urge grew so strong that his arm actually manifested itself for a goof minute before crumbling slowly into dust once again and this shocked him so much that he almost forgot his anger. That evening, he tried his best to recreate the feelings he had when it had materialised and the session was slightly- ever so slightly- more productive than usual

"Not bad" Said Firenze when the had finished, trotting over to Allen who was squatting on the ground, panting heavily

"You seemed different today- what has changed?"

"My arm manifest itself earlier this evening- when I got really angry at Umbridge so I was trying to recreate that emotion. Didn't work quite as well as expected though." Allen explained, swiping the sweat from his forehead and gulping down huge draughts of icy cold water from an old butterbeer flagon

Firenze pondered this for a while before saying, in his slow, calm tone

"So your weapon is emotionally linked to you. Interesting. That may be the key" He studied Allen intently and then nodded affirmatively

"Yes, that is the key. I see it now"

"What!?" Allen squeaked, excitement barely contained

"What is the key" But Firenze shook his head decisively

"I cannot interfere in your destiny so radically. You are fated to save this world, young foal. If you do not find your own way to this answer then you will never fulfil this fate. You will reach understanding when you are ready to evolve and become something more"

Allen gaped

"Are you _serious?" _He said incredulously.

Firenze looked at him blankly

"Of course I'm..."

"_You are just going to tell me you know what is holding me back and then __**refuse **__to tell me what it is?" _His voice had become horse with indignation and despite his best attempts, it was refusing to get louder than its current half-whisper. Firenze looked rather surprised at his usually placid pupil's reaction.

"I will of course continue to train you, but Allen, this is something you must reach on your own. You must understand that"

Allen took another large swig of the cold water in an attempt to calm himself down but just ended up choking and spitting half the contents out, dribbling it all over his robes and completely ruining the air of maturity he was trying to portray. By the time he had cleared the water from his lungs and began breathing properly again, he had recovered slightly from Firenze's bombshell.

"OK" He said in a slightly calmer voice

"So all I need to do is access the right emotion and I will be able to control my innocence again?"

Firenze put his head on one side and pulled a face

"It's more complicated than a simple emotion. You need to grow and change before your innocence will accept you again. It abandoned you for a reason, Allen and you must prove to it once more that you are worthy to wield such a weapon"

Having dropped this final bombshell, he turned sharply, his tail swishing dramatically and he trotted off out of sight, disappearing into the darkness of the forest with very little noise, despite his bulk

"Show off" Allen muttered bitterly and slowly got back to his feet

"Well this is just fabulous" He said bitterly to no one as he strode back toward the foreboding dark silhouette that was Hogwart's castle

"I just need to change a fundamental aspect of my character. How difficult can that be?"

He paused momentarily and cocked his head to one side, convinced for half a second that he had heard a dark chuckle but he shook his head dismissively and continued on his way

"Loosing my mind" He muttered to himself as he exited the tangled trees and entered the open grounds of the castle.

Allen trooped down to the forbidden forest again, this time accompanied by his classmates as they followed Hagrid into the tangle of trees that had begun to feel like home to him- perhaps even more so than the castle at the moment, which was part of the reason he was willing Umbridge away with all his strength. He knew there was little point in trying, that there was no way she would miss such an opportunity to carry out her vendetta on all 'half-breeds' but he could hope, miracles sometimes happened, right?. Hagrid let out an ear-splitting shriek and soon enough, the great skeletal horses that usually pulled the school carriages appeared. Allen viewed the bony creatures with some curiosity, he was wondering what their deal was, he knew that very few students could actually see them. In fact, the only people he knew that saw them were Luna, Harry and himself. He noticed that Neville flinched slightly at their arrival- so he could see them too... Hagrid went on to explain that only those who had seen death could see the Thestrals. This threw a whole new light on the odd creatures that looked dead, but were alive and could only be seen by those who had actually seen death. It was somewhat symbolic of the way that viewing death affected life. No matter how aware someone may be of death, actually viewing it was always different and it never failed to make an impact on the way you viewed your own life, and the lives of others. It changed you. This thought brought Allen back to Firenze's words- that he needed to change certain things about himself before the innocence would accept him back. He wondered if his constant exposure to death over the years had changed and twisted him so much tat even the innocence refused to resonate with him any more. Perhaps he had become unworthy of it. which was a horrible thought. Seeing all those deaths had only intensified the determination with which he fought but perhaps this had been his downfall. This though hit him like a physical blow. Was it possible that his innocence had left him because he had seen so many deaths that he was no longer worthy of its service? At this point Umbridge turned up but even her presence wasn't enough to distract him from this troubling thought. But he hadn't become apathetic- he cared so much, gave his all every fight, why, the very fight he had lost his arm in, he had been doing all he could to save Suman. Had given every ounce of his being. His remaining hand twinged in memory of the incidence.

_But maybe _a voice whispered in his subconscious _that was where you were going wrong. You cannot save everyone, you are not God. Sacrificing yourself for one person is not for the greater goo- _NO! He could not accept that. He had to save everyone that he could. He couldn't just leave someone knowing that they were going to die if he didn't intervene! The voice began to form a retort and he pushed it out of his mind, silencing his thoughts, but not before Kanda's face flashed before his eyes- berating him for trying to chase after Harry that night in the graveyard, then Lavi's face that time he had cut down all of the Akuma in France without giving any of his comrade's the trust they deserved, then Lenalee's as he dragged Suman half dead out of the destroyed, monstrous body as she stared on in horror. Bile rose in his throat and it was all he could do not to throw up there and then. The other three were thankfully too distracted to notice his distress and he was able to slip off down to the lake as they entered the castle without them noticing. He blindly stumbled down to the lake and wondered aimlessly around the edges, trying to fight down the waves of disconcerting thoughts that were crashing over his body again and again. He had been there for an hour or so when a familiar blonde head made its way down to the lake edge. Luna sat down and began stringing carefully picked windflowers together in a complicated braid, humming absently as she did so. He half wanted to go to her but immediately had the impulse arisen, it disappeared. How could she understand what he was going through, the life he led, the choices he had to make. Her world was the world he was protecting but he was not a part of it any more. With a heavy heart, he made his way back to the castle, performing a disillusionment charm over himself as he went, not wanting her to see him.

A few weeks later, Allen was woken from his sleep by Harry shouting bloody murder in the bed next to him. He half fell out of his bed in his hurry to reach his friend, his bedsheets tangling up his feet as he struggled over. Harry seemed to still be asleep but was shouting like he had been lit on fire. Allen reached over to shake his friend awake but had barely touched his shoulder when Harry suddenly sat bolt upright, his face an unhealthy shade of white. He promptly rolled onto his side and threw up over the edge of his four poster bed (mercifully on the opposite side from where Allen was standing). Allen pulled the tangled bed sheets off his friend and helped Harry sit up, gently rubbing his between the shoulder blades and carefully positioning himself out of the aim of his mouth. By this stage, the other boys had woken too, sleepily stirring from their slumber and then growing suddenly more awake as they realised what had happened. Dean and Thomas watched concernedly from their beds but both Ron and Neville ran to Harry's aid. Ron was at the other side of the bed and he shot a concerned look over the top of Harry's head to Allen. Harry himself seemed completely oblivious to their concern and merely gasped at Ron

"It's your dad! He's been attacked

Ron gazed uncomprehendingly at his friend

"I don't... what... what are you talking about

"He's been bitten. There is blood... everywhere"

Somewhere in the background, Dean and Seamus began muttering.

"You must've been dreaming" Ron said faintly, hopefully but his voice lacked conviction and he looked terrified. Allen remembered all that Dumbledore had told him about the link between Voldemort and Harry and decided to take no risks

"Harry, where was Mr Weasly when he got attacked and who did it?"

Harry turned his pale face desperately to Allen, his eyes pained and confused

* * *

><p>"I don't... it... a corridor somewhere, that was all I saw and I... it... he was... there was a snake and... he was bitten. It's bad Allen" His burning gaze bore into Allen and he wondered at Harry's painful pauses. It seemed to him that there was something that he was holding back. He had no time however to get it out of him and quickly turned on his heel and sprinted out of the dorm, following the familiar pathway to Dumbledore's office, not even pausing as he streaked past McGonagall in her tartan dressing gown, ignoring her scandalised cries<p>

The pale dawn crept over the windowsills in Hogwart's and illuminated a mostly empty corridor, with a lone figure making its way down the deserted hallways. The Wesley's and Harry had disappeared to Sirius's home and Dumbledore was 'sorting some things out' as he so aptly put it. There was a lot of red tape involved when a member of the ministry- particularly one already under suspicion- was found half-dead in the department of mysteries. Not that Mr Weasly had been found there at all- for he was not supposed to have figured that out. He wearily wondered what this mysterious weapon was that the order were protecting so vigilantly. What could possible have interested Voldemort so much that he was willing to blow this lovely cover he had created for himself and come out into the open? It must be something huge, something really...

"Hem hem"

Dread poured over him, dozing his body in its icy chill

"Mr. Walker, what are you doing out of your dormitory at this hour?"

* * *

><p>wave after wave of trepidation hit him. This was not good. Not good at all<p> 


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Hey guys :) Me again. Hope you like this new chapter, and please give opinions especially on the last lil bit as it is me interfering and casting a little conjuncture on the man 'verse. Hope you like my idea... but yeah. Hope you enjoy though advanced warning, had to write this rather quickly due to impending internet-less-ness and I didn't want to not post again for a number of months so I rushed the writing of this**

**Shirubagure: When does Allen ever ****_not_**** get in trouble, that is my question! And as for Allen and Luna, it depends on what you classify love as. He definitely did love her, just perhaps not romantic love and bear in mind, he is like 15 still so has no idea yet what real love is, its hardly surprising he confused the two. So many people do...**

**Ennael: I know, I did disappear for rather a long time. Back though! The next wont be posted for at least 3 weeks however as I am headed off to places without internet or laptops... sorry! I may disappoint you slightly as I sort of skip over the Ark arc. As I see it, the Ark story will go the same in this as it does in the manga so I don't see much point in writing it all out again. I may write up the last scene with Road/ Lavi and the piano bit in the next chapter but I will see how determined I am to get it in. Hope you enjoy!**

**Coronadomontes: Yes I do hate Umbridge and all her ilk with all of my hate! Wish I had time to put more Umbridge bashing in the story. I was going to have Allen, Fred and George playing some huge big prank on her but ran out of time and inspiration. You may have notices I have been suffering from a touch of writers block in the past few months :P Hopefully over it now! **

**Werecat-Yoruichi: Allen finally reaches the rest of them! You can see I stretched the timeline somewhat but I hope it still works**

**Meloignon: I read back through my story. Man I actually do have a lot of typo's! :S Soz!**

"_What did I just do?"_

Allen blasted a path through a pile of twisted brambles, clearing his way

"_WHAT did I just do?"_

Echoing roars from Umbridge met his ears and he bent down, lifting Mai up by the back of her dress and swung her onto his back where she clung like a spider monkey, her breathing fast and panicked in his ear

"_Dumbledore is going to kill me"_

But Dumbledore wasn't there- that was the whole problem. He had left to deal with the Harry situation the day before and yet to return.

Allen ducked under a low hanging branch just in time

Umbridge had therefore been given free reign to interrogate him any way she saw fit. A wave of nausia swept over him again and he had to stop to retch behind a tree but there was nothing left in his stomach to come back up. He wiped the back of his mouth and turned sharply to his right, ploughing through the thick undergrowth of the forbidden forest. The thick vines and branches curled around his feet, tripping him. Slowing him. The trees were beginning to crowd closer together, looming in, staring down curiously at the two fugitives battling their way through their roots. Allen twisted around as he ran and caught a glimpse of Umbridge's hideous, red face, twisted into a snarl as she pursued them doggedly.

She had started off with mere threats and intimidations however it had not taken long for her personal vendetta against him to come to the fore. She had tried to give him Veriteserum in a cup of tea but when he refused to drink it, she had attempted to hold him down as she forced it down his throat. After he had smashed the potion bottle, she had really lost her cool. Imperio. Cruciatus curse. He had avoided and fought these as she flung them crazedly at him, spit flying from her mouth as she screamed insults and questions at him in turn

"_**Where did Harry and Dumbledore go?"**_

_**Allen struggled against the Imperius curse, glaring at her defiantly, trying not to look strained as he fought off the third Imperius in a row. He really needed to improve his ducking reflex.**_

"_**I. Don't. Know" He spat out from between gritted teeth, struggling against the spell she was holding him with. A deranged smile made its way across her face as she tantalisingly waved his wand in front of his eyes**_

"_**Ah-ah-ah I am afraid I do not believe you Mister Walker. I suggest you come up with a better answer than that. There is no point in pretending you do not know. You don't really want to know what I have in store for you if you continue to resist"**_

_**Her toad-like grin grew even wider and a cold chill ran down Allen's spine. She really had cracked. She was acting like a maniac**_

"_**You can't **_**do ****_this" He protested _**

"_**I am a minor! And you are a teacher- you can't **_**use ****_torture against me"_**

_**Umbridge widened her eyes mockingly and made a pantomime of looking all around her**_

"_**Really? Well that's just too bad isn't it? I could really get into trouble for what I am doing, couldn't I? Shame no one is here to see what I am doing, isn't it"**_

_**She lent forward till her face was mere inches from his, the flecks of her spit actually hitting his face as she spoke**_

"_**Also I believe you are under the delusion that the government actually cares what happens to you, you filthy half-breed. You just try to take me to court once I get the information from you. I could use a good laugh"**_

_**She laughed at this, waves of her putrid breath rolling over him. There was a tap on the window of her office and a triumphant gleam lit in her eyes. Allen's stomach did a horrible double backflip. What ever this was, it was not going to be good news for him. Umbridge walked over to the window and let the tawny owl in, releasing the officious looking scroll from its leg. She laughed out loud again, a cold, callous cackle that only served to increase Allen's fear. She straitened the pink bow in her hair and smoothed down her robes. She fussed a little while with her hair, the silence dragging on unbearably. When she had finally sorted herself out she spoke again, her voice returning to its usual girly tone**_

"_**Now Mister Walker, I believe we can proceed in a more civilised manner"**_

"_**What?" He spat, unable to contain himself**_

"_**All of a sudden come to the realisation that torturing helpless minors is immoral?"**_

_**Umbridge tittered at this as if he had made some little amusing remark**_

"_**Oh no, not at all dear boy, I just now have something much more effective" She waved the officious scroll, looking as smug as could be**_

"_**Changing from unforgivable curses to paper cuts? How you are moving up in the world..." Allen's bravado wasn't even fooling himself at this stage and Umbridge giggled again. She unscrolled the parchment and began reading out loud**_

" _From the Department of Under-aged Wizards_

_Dear Dolores Jane Umbridge_

_We have reviewed the situation of Mai Dumbledore at your personal request and, taking into consideration your personal concerns about her welfare... __**blah blah blah" He glanced over the top to Allen's ashen face**_

"_**Legal talk you know... let me skip to the good part, ah, yes.**__ We feel that it would be in the best interests of the child if she were moved from her current unstable environment to a government-run home"_

After that, everything had been a little bit of a blur. He had been aware of a wave of pure rage flowing through him- he'd finally had enough. He had been trapped in this school for the best part of 4 months being alternately tortured by Umbridge and by his training in a futile attempt to return to the battle field and not only had he failed to achieve this, but now he stood to lose Mai too. He remembered with a flash the first time he found her, lying abandoned in the middle of that half-destroyed town. Starving and alone. Her helplessness had spoken to something in him and he had felt pity for her like he had never felt until that first time he saw an akuma's soul. The first time he had ever stopped wallowing in his own self-pity for long enough to notice the suffering of others. Why didn't everyone see? How could they not see this? Why was no one else willing to lay all on the line to save these poor, pitiful creatures- humans and Akuma- suffering alike. All this schooling and red tape and politics. None of it mattered. All that mattered was that right now, there were thousands of poor tortured souls out there waiting for him. Waiting for the only person on this god-forsaken earth who cared about them to come for them. Human and Akuma alike. He had a duty to fulfil and he was _not _wasting one more precious second on this _toad._ This feeling had flooded through his entire being and with it, the familiar feeling of his innocence activating. He hadn't even really though through what he was doing, his innocence just followed his intentions as if it had never left him. Umbridge had been pinned up against the wall by white strands, causing her to drop his wand which Allen promptly scooped up. He dropped her non-to-gently to the ground and ran out the door, sealing even as he sprinted down to Mai's nursery.

* * *

>He had caused a significant amount of raucous as he left which perhaps had been ill advised however, in his defence, he had really been in a rather bad mood. He had cast the sonorous charm that Bagman had used so frequently the year before at the Triwizard Tournament. The students were all in class and came bursting out at the noise, teachers peering curiously the top of their heads as Allen told them what had just happened. They probably wouldn't have believed him but Umbridge blasted her door off its hinges and (as he had been hoping for). She got so incensed at his performance that she charged at him, wand raised and he had ran for his life Mai clutched under one arm and his wand in his newly-formed arm. If that didn't convince the students that he and Harry were telling the truth about the ministry, he didn't know what would. He knew that he couldn't apperate until he exited the grounds which was where he was headed right now. He had hoped that when he ducked into the forbidden forest that she would give up but that hadn't worked. He exited the forest again, swinging Mai around so she was clinging to his front, protected from any spells Umbridge may shoot at them. The gate was now thankfully in sight. A stunning spell shot scarily close to him as he shot across the open grounds pointing his wand at the gates as he ran, shouting the incantations to remove the protective enchantment around them as he went. He was barely five meters from them when a stunning spell collided with his back however, the new innocence- which appeared to have taken the shape of a cloak- shielded him from any damage and he burst through the gates, twisting as he did so, dissaperating with a loud and resonating <em>crack.<em>

There was a loud crack on Grimmauld Place street and a white haired boy appeared out of nowhere, clutching a small child to his chest. He scanned the street carefully before running up to the space between houses 11 and 13 before dissapearing as suddenly as he had appeared, seemingly into nothing. The homeless man who had watched this all transpire from his spot in the shadow of the street's bins shook his head woefully

"Those darn aliens again" He sighed exasperatedly. Now he was going to have to find somewhere else to squat. And he had really liked this area too...

Meanwhile, in Grimmauld place, Allen was hurriedly alternating between asking for news about Mr Weasly and telling them what had happened at Hogwarts

"I am so glad your father isn't too badly injured" Allen said squeezing Ron's shoulder and giving Ginny a one armed hug which she accepted gratefully

"But what about you?" Hermione said, her voice scared

"You're going to be in big trouble now Allen- you assaulted a ministry official!"

Allen shrugged, scowling darkly

"She deserved much worse than I gave her. Besides, my innocence is back now so I amn't exactly going to be sticking around much longer"

There was an outcry of shock and anger at this and he had to yell to be heard over the raucous

"_NO, really I am going"_

"But you can't just _go" _Hermione insisted furiously

"Why not?" He asked, his patience beginning to run thin

"I have already explained the situation to you- Hermione, people are dying, the world as we know it is literally ending. I have to go and you know it. Besides, as you say, I can hardly return to Hogwarts now. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go rejoin the battle"

Hermione spluttered and stammered uncertainly then desperately said

"You still have the trace on you Allen, you can't even do magic outside without the ministry knowing"

Allen smiled slightly

"Dumbledore should be taking care of that right now. Ah!"

A flame ignited mid-air and a slightly scorched piece of parchment floated down from nowhere. Allen caught it as it fluttered toward the floor

"There" He said with some relief

"I am released from the trace. Look, I know you all don't want to see me go and I wish things could be different but... there really is no other option"

Sirius, who had been watching the proceedings from the sidelines disappeared off into the house and returned a few moments later to a much subdued group

"Allen" He said holding out a hand-held glass

"Take this with you. It's a two way mirror. Harry has the second and I have the third. Just say our names and you'll be able to see through our mirrors and talk to us. It'll be a way to keep in contact while you are away. Might help soothe their fears, you know. And Mai will be staying here with me I am sure, so she can talk to you through this too"

Allen gaped rather wordlessly as this wonderful act of generosity and accepted it, stammering out his thanks to Sirius as he did so. Sirius just waved his gratitude away

"Don't you worry about it. It's the least I could do for you. Now, come on guys. Lets leave Allen and Mai alone for a few minutes, OK?"

They queued up one by one to hug Allen and say goodbye. Hermione wasn't even able to form words and merely made a gulping noise and shook her head, hugging him close to her. He kissed the top of her head and whispered

"Don't worry, I am going to be fine"

Ron and Harry clapped him on the shoulder firmly and glared determinedly into his eyes, refusing to cry.

"See you soon, mate" Ron said stiffly

"Yeah" Harry echoed

"Soon"

Allen nodded, smiling slightly and they all trouped one by one out of the room, leaving him and Mai alone. Allen hunkered down so he was the same height as Mai who was watching him with her big, soulful eyes. She quite clearly knew exactly what he was about to say and though bright tears were brimming in her chocolate eyes, they did not overspill. Allen kissed her forehead gently and rubbed noses with her smiling reassuringly

"You'll be ok Mai. I am going now but you will be well looked after here by Sirius. Hagrid and Dumbledore will stop by as well to see you and Mrs Weasly too. You'll be properly spoilt"

She gave a wavering smile at this and nodded

"I love you very much, you know that. More than anyone else in this whole wide world. That is why I have to go, I know you don't really understand this yet, but there is a cruel man out there tearing apart families and destroying this world. I need to fight him to save this earth for you and for everyone else too. It is my duty" He said this last part with conviction then, more quietly "It is my purpose"

* * *

>He embraced her again then turned and left, pretending not to notice the tears that had finally over-spilt down her cheeks, soaking into her little blue pinafore as he left her alone in the landing. <em>This is the worst thing about war he thought as he exited the building there are always far more civilian injuries and deaths than military<em>

Allen wasted the next few hours trying to figure out where to apperate to, wishing more than ever that he had Timcampy with him. Thankfully the Noah were looking for him too- they obviously hadn't been convinced that he had really died and Allen had only just released the soul of a stray level one he had found floating alone when a level 3 showed up. He had been pushed to his limits fighting against that poor tortured creature however, he was pretty sure that once he got used to this new form of his innocence that he would easily be able to take down any further level three's that turned up. His cloak acted like a shield and offensive weapon alike. He could even use it to move quickly out of the way of attacks and his arm seemed now to be much easier to use. It almost felt like this was the way it should have been the whole time. Like its initial form had been childlike and it had now matured into its true form. The soul of the akuma he had just released smiled at him as it faded

"Take the arc" It said

"It will lead you to your friends"

Allen nodded and placed his hand over his heart, bowing in respect to the soul- finally released from its cruel chains

"Goodnight my friend. Safe journey"

* * *

>He approached the door with some trepidation, but there had been nothing but truth in that Akuma's eyes and he knew that he meant him no harm so, without a backward look, he stepped through the door and was enveloped in its blinding light which briefly flared as he stepped through and disappeared as he shut it with a resounding snap, leaving the dark frame floating ghost-like a few inches above the scorched and blackened ground<p><p>

The scene Allen walked into was one of sheer destruction on a scale he had never seen before in his life. He took in the scattered bodies on the decimated landscape before noticing Lenalee- suspended in a large crystal-like substance and the Earl bearing down upon her. Within seconds, he was behind her. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side and he sunk the claw of his other hand deep into the Earls face. He grinned widely, filled with euphoria at having finally reached the battle field once again

"Good evening, Earl"

He tightened his grip but the Earl twisted out of his way, drawing his sword as he did so but rather than attack, he drew back

"Its funny" He said, cocking his head to one side as Allen blocked his strike with his arm, glaring blazingly- defiantly- into his eyes.

"You remind me of the 'white-faced clown, who fights the Aususte clown"

With a swirl of his cloak he disappeared. Allen cursed under his breath and scanned the skies for his enemy. His eyes raked the landscape but he couldn't see him anywhere. He spied Lavi's bright hair down on the ground, his form stirring slightly. He looked hurt, but still alive. Allen flew down and landed beside him.

"Lavi! Have you seen the Earl anywhere?"

Lavi's bright green eyes were confused and he didn't answer, only stuttered out

"A-akuma?"

Alen was confused for a moment before remembering that he was still in his invoked form and Lavi had never seen it before. He was about to explain who he was when Kanda appeared out of nowhere and if it hadn't been for Allen's quick reflexes, he would have lost his head. He barely ducked out of the way in time

"Kanda!" He yelled before the psycopath could attack again. Recognition sparked in Kanda's eyes and though he didn't relax his sword, he didn't attack again

"Tch. What do you think you are doing, moyashi? You're supposed to be dead, not messing with my battle"

Allen bristled irritably at his attitude

"My name is _Allen _and shouldn't you be apologising to me? Attacking your own side is hardly a good battle plan now is it? Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't die"

He relaxed his form slightly, the mask and cloak pulling back showing his face

"The day is still young" Kanda muttered

"I won't give up hope yet"

Lavi, though, got unsteadily to his feet and embraced his friend tightly

"Good to see you in the land of the living Allen" He choked out, pulling back, his green eye sparkling slightly

Allen laughed

"Good to be here too. Now where did all of the Noah go? I was fighting the Earl, like, 2 minutes ago" He scanned the sky again but could see no sign of any of them

"I was fighting the perm-haired one a minute ago too" Kanda unwillingly chipped in, scouring the skies too, in search of his prey but they were nowhere to be seen. The rest of the exorcists too were searching the skies for their enemies who all seemed to have disappeared instantaneously. They made use of this time to recuperate- Allen returning to the rooftop that he had deposited Lenalee while fighting the Earl and bringing her over to join Lavi and Kanda, who- for all his antagonism toward his companions, stayed to listen to the conversation. Lenalee hugged Allen enthusiastically, tears streaming openly down her face

"It is good to have you back with us Allen, its not been the same without you" Allen hugged her back, smiling and despite his best efforts, tears slipped down his cheeks too

"Haha- Crybaby!" Lavi guffawed as he watched the two as they embraced

"Just wait till I tell Komui you been hugging his little sister! ~Looks like our little Allen has a cruuush~"

"Oh hush Lavi" Lenalee said, a hint of sharpness in her voice

"You're the one who has hardly strung two words together since Allen disappeared. Don't go acting all macho now. _Boys!"_

Allen quickly diverted them from any bickering and explained where he had been and how he had survived- invoking his new innocence at Lavi's request, pleased by their delight at its new form

"What have you guys been up to while I have been recuperating? Did you ever find my master?"

Lenalee and Lavi exchanged significant looks

"Nope" Lavi said heavily

"We got really close but all we got was some Akuma or other that he had been working on. He managed to give her free will back again somehow. We don't really know how. Komui always said he was one of the most talented workers in the science division"  
>"If you ask me" Lenalee said, smiling fondly<p>

"My brother would actually rival him. If Reever ever was brave enough to allow him out of his office and into the labs that is"

Lavi and Allen shuddered at the thought

* * *

>"I think we would all rather that never ever happened" Allen said and Lavi nodded emphatically. Allen grinned at Lenalee but her returned smile turned into a look of shock and fear as the ground opened up beneath her feet and a swirling black vortex swallowed her whole. Without even a seconds hesitation, all three of the boys flung themselves into the swirling vortex after her. No sooner had Kanda's heel disappeared through the portal than it snapped shut, leaving nothing behind it<p><p>

_Golden leaves fell down in showers around two boys playing in the roots of a gnarled Oak tree. Their laughter rang through the empty grounds as they ran in circles around the trunk- neither sure who was catching and who was running_

_Soft hands and a kind voice- a mother kisses the forehead of a child and says_

"_You really should be more careful darling, you'll seriously hurt yourself one of these days" And though felling patronised and impatient, the child also felt loved and safe_

**wish the memories would stop. Need to waken**

_The brother makes a twig float in the air. The child watching tries to do the same but can't and the brother smiles, dropping the twig and playing a game instead_

_In an empty room, the child sits and concentrates hard on one of his toys. He wants to be able to make things move, like his brother does but the toy stays stationary_

_He is ill- everything hurts. The brother and mother are panicking- doctors are called, medicine is given but the pain doesn't abate. It rages on and on until it is no more and he is alone without it and he is different because of it_

_A man appears and tells him he is special, tells him he has powers. He tries to explain that he doesn't- that his brother does. That he is not special but the man asks him to try again. He looks over at the grand piano in the corner of the room and wonders. He closes his eyes and feels the keys- the music- the pieces with his mind. All those pieces fitting together, making a whole. It was sickening. Together, together, together. His thoughts raced stronger and his eyes flew open. The piano crumbled into dust with a sigh and the man smiled._

_He was in a new world, with a new family and they understood his power. He was strong, so strong. He was going to gain power till he could take the whole world apart and let it's pieces go. Together. Whole. It was sickening. The brother appeared_

**No**

_He was talking and talking but _he_ was more powerful now _he _was special_

**No**

_He tried to make him go away with his words and the feelings he was making but he wouldn't go. He made the memories appear, of trees and leaves and kind words and his heart strings tugged. It hurt. He shouted at the brother but he kept pushing till he snapped and spun around. To take him apart and let the memories fall away. His power burst out but something held them back. He fell to his knees when he realised what he had almost done and the brother lowered his wand_

"_It's OK Neah. I am here now"_

_His power changed and he began to piece things together, opening up a whole new world. He could see the components and he could see the whole- the world seemed a song. A cacophony of melodies strung together in a composition too wonderful and terrible to comprehend and in trying to comprehend it, he came to himself. At first his family were pleased, then their father grew less pleased. The brother was unhappy with the Fathers plans and told him. He began to wonder. Was the melody of the humans so terrible. It was disharmonious to be sure. The discords and jarring notes turned his stomach but he looked at his brother and looked at his mother and the song sweetened. He tried to explain this but the Father grew angry and his song changed. Or rather, the top layer disappeared and the chaos underneath came out. He grew frightened_

**I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS AGAIN**

_Gathered around the tree, the golden leaves fell as the sky cried and the earth opened up it maw and swallowed his mother whole, taking her to itself leaving him bereft. The brother tried to speak but his words fell flat. He had caused this. He had left her. Left her for the alcohol and friends then called her from safety to come fetch him from his own disaster and she had died for nothing that she had done trying to save him from everything he had done. The human song seemed more bitter than ever before and his own tune turned chaotic_

_He was held- the man in white held him with his detestable innocence as his brother shouted through the roaring cacophony that had struck up its chords on that day. The tune raged and raged till the words began to make the jarring notes make sense_

"_It was the Earl, Nea! I don't know how he made me forget but Allen found the true memory. I didn't kill her, he did. To tame you. You have to believe me before you take other peoples families from them the way he took her from you. It doesn't have to be Innocence versus Noah- we each chose our own battles Nea and you need to chose what is right for you. Do you really want to kill me? I am human. Mother was human. _You _are human. It is our chaos that makes us beautiful. What would a world of akuma be Nea? Imagine that melody"_

_It saddened him to think of his families blindness. He had grown close to them and they felt as much a part of his flesh as his brother. They were as convinced by the Earls vision as he had been though- more so in fact- and as they had no families, they could not be reached as he had been reached. His love for his humans had shown him their worth but his brothers and sisters loved only each other. Their love was pure and strong and he was part of it too. The thought of their deaths drove him insane but the melody of the world outweighed the song of their love. He wanted to explain- to show them but he didn't want to raise too many alarms. He needed the access to the ark that he had and he wasn't prepared yet for a full battle with them. When the time came, he would give them the choice. He knew that it was a false choice though- was a choice with a predetermined destination truly a choice at all? Nevertheless, he had to try. Offering them options gave them responsibility and him, some peace of mind. His brother understood his pain and both comforted each other with these platitudes repeated over and over again. It wasn't their fault- it was battle_

_The time came too soon. Chords were broken. Melodies ended. Blood rained and his siblings died. Some by his hand, some by Allen's, some by Cross's. It mattered not. The end was the same and his pain was the same. He found Road- the last- clutching his unconscious brother in her arms, her eyes pain filled and her heart poisoned worse than ever. She he had loved most of all. He could feel her melody inside his brothers head and he feared for his soul. The Earl- maddened and raging attacked and he had to leave his brother in her clutches. He fought body and soul but he was not strong enough. Many blows were exchanged but he fell more than half dead to the ground. His friend ran to his body and he knew what he must do. It had been their last resort but all else had failed. His brother had his melody and now his best friend had his soul._

_Flashes of scenes flickered before his eyes and he was aware of time passing. He couldn't understand it. Why hadn't Allen transferred him yet? Or let him have consc..._

_He was in a dream state. Memories were all he had. The present was not speaking with him so his stories were all he had_

_Every once in a while, an emotion flickered through but..._

**Why... why can't I?**

**Where did I go**

**will I get back?**

The melody flew through his body like it had never left and though he wasn't controlling it, he awoke and his power entered it. The ark began to sing for him as it always did. It had always loved him more than any of the others. Even Road it had only tolerated- but for him... for him she _sang _and her melody was more beautiful than anything in the universe

He was awake

At last


	49. Chapter 49

Cross Marion slumped down in his chair, his posture aggressively casual- his boots planted on the table and his hat slumped down over his face, shielding his eyes from the scrutiny of the surrounding generals. He had been out with the control of the order for so long that he had almost forgotten exactly how much he _loathed _everything about it. He was not one for following orders. He was a wolf, not a sheep and if there was one thing he hated above everything else, it was those who thought their opinion counted for more than others due to their status. He didn't mind deferring to those who presented a good argument or to those who had some sort of expertise- like that Dumbledore fellow but to have someone of lesser intelligence, lesser experience and lesser talent tell _him _what to do and scrutinise _his _actions. It really rubbed him up the wrong way to say the least.

He had really rather hoped that things would have turned out slightly differently than they had- though of course he had always known that this was a likely outcome and had a contingency plan in place but still. Had his stupid, useless apprentice been able to reach the piano room more quickly, perhaps the appearance of the 14th could have been masked for slightly longer but no. The stupid, snivelling little snot rag had left it until the last possible second and had reconstructed the entire arc in front of everyone. There was no hiding it now. Damage control was the only way forward. His only hope was that he could distract the order for long enough so the 14th could establish control before these idiots destroyed his host body.

He figured that they would value the strategic advances the ark offered highly enough that they would spare the boy though knowing the Orders brutality, it was not a guaranteed outcome. He was really hoping he wouldn't have to resort to a jail-break, though to be fair, even if the kid was charged with being a traitor, the Order would probably torture him rather than kill him. He was far to valuable for that so they would try torture and brainwash to turn him into an obedient little sheep, like those detestable Crows. Though there was a risk with that outcome that they would accidental kill him in the process.

The door behind him opened and the atmosphere of the whole hall changed

_And so it begins _he thought, smiling slightly at the melodrama of it all

It took roughly 3 minutes for Lvierre and his little pet crow to run through the list of Cross's crimes and to let him off with basically a slap on the wrist and 'Well you had better never do this again'

_They must be really mad at the boy_ Cross thought wryly. He'd hardly had to argue at all there, though he guessed they were crediting him with actually succeeding in capturing the akuma egg and by proxy, the ark. He was rather impressed by the manipulation that had gone into that actually. He had never suspected that Lvierre had know the akuma plant was in the ark when he had sent Cross on that mission. They must have found out, or suspected his affiliation with the 14th though, to be fair, he had never made his hatred of the Order a secret. Still, the fact that they had known and rather than torturing him into oblivion had used this to manipulate him into both capturing the ark and revealing the host of the 14th all in one go, that truly was an achievement.

"Now that we have both the Akuma egg and the Noah's means of transport, we really have crippled them" Lvierre was saying, looking so proud you would have almost imagined that he was the one who had captured it

"The exorcists will be able to use the Ark's transportation powers and so we shall be able to further our battle plans to levels only dreamed of before"

"Hold on" One of the little idiots Cross had never bothered learning the name of spoke up, interrupting Lvierre's soliloquy (Not a very wise move)

"Won't that just increase the burden on our already strained exorcists? We have received a number of serious blows in recent months and our exorcists are already stretched as it is. Besides, this Ark has been under the control of the Noah for months- what guarantee have we that it is safe to use?"

The blonde bimbo continued, his eyes blazing with a steely (if foolish) determination

Lvierre gave the blonde man a look of contempt

"Sacrifices must be made in war. The exorcists are made to fight and fight they will. If they die, they die fulfilling their duty. I will not lose any sleep over it. It is their purpose" He shrugged one shoulder casually ignoring the drop in temperature in the room, currently filled with the very people he had just reduced to the level of mere pawns. Subtlty had never been his strong point Cross mulled and snapped back to attention as he spoke again

"The real question is not so much whether we should use the ark but rather what we should do with the boy"

Looks of confusion darted across the room and Cross tensed. Lvierre's eyes flashed in his direction

"That ark was made by a certain Noah, was it not, _General Cross_"

"Why, yes, I believe it was" Cross drawled casually staring up at the ceiling

"The 14th I believe?"

"Yes" Lvierre said curtly, obviously not appreciating Cross's deliberately obtuse attitude

"And this 14th has not been reborn yet?"

Cross stuck out his bottom lip and shrugged expressively, looking around the room as if expecting the 14th to appear from under the table or something

"Not that I know of, no"

The mood in the room tensed as, one by one, the generals realised what was being insinuated in this exchange

"Do you not think" Lvierre spat out from between clenched teeth

"That it is highly likely that the boy who managed to reload the Ark is the reincarnation of the 14th ?"

"Oh I don't know about that" Cross said casually again, waving his hand dismissively and completely ignoring the room's collective intake of breath at Lvierre's accusation

"You know how it is, people are capable of great feats when those they love are at ris..."

* * *

>"That ark could only have been controlled by a Noah and you know as well as I do that the 14th is the only one who would have been capable of making it listen to him above the Earl as the ark was his creation. Do not play games with me Cross. I know that you found this <em>boy <em>mere months after you were given the assignment to look for the egg and you have been watching him closely ever since, you know as well as I do. Allen Walker is a Noah and as such, he is a traitor and enemy of the Order"

Allen's eyes were unfocussed, staring unseeing at the grand piano in front of him as he tried to organise the wild jumble of thoughts that were rattling around inside his skull. How had he been able to play that piano? How had he been able to control the ark? Who was that black ominous silhouette skulking in the corners of his vision, looming behind him and disappearing every time he turned, leering over him every time he caught his reflection? As he tried to sort through everything in his head, his hand moved almost subconsciously across the sheet of paper he was balancing on his knees, sketching lines and circles in a complex pattern.

So. Mana had been the brother of this '14th Noah' who created and controlled the ark. That would explain why Mana knew the secret language of the music for the Ark. Allen smiled ever so slightly as he remembered Mana teaching him that secret language, sketching out the characters with a stick in the snow... but the smile turned bitter. Mana must have known- must have seen it as soon as he saw Allen- the shadow of his thought-to-be-dead brother behind those angry, grey eyes. Had Mana ever, really cared for him at all? Or had his kindness and love been for his brother, rather than Allen himself? That explained as well why Cross had taken such an interest in him, and why he had been given Timcanpy. Everything in his life it felt had been leading him down this path. All those decisions he though he had been making had in reality been made for him. To go with Mana, to change into the man he thought Mana wanted him to be, to fight Akuma, to join the Order. All of these 'decisions' had been leading him down a path already meticulously laid out for him. That mantra of Mana's took on a new meaning and turned sour in his mind

'Keep walking'

Allen's face twisted bitterly. Anger and sorrow broiling up inside him.

That ideal he had clung to when everything had fallen apart. It no longer meant 'Never give up' or 'make your own way in life' or 'walk the path least trod' or anything so sentimentally pathetic

No

Rather it meant 'what ever you do, do not stray from this path that we have designed for you'

The bitterness in his heart swole up and its intensity scared him. Mana had been the only person in his life ever to show him kindness and now- now he knew. It had all been a lie. Mana had never cared for him, he had done all he had done for his brother- not for some poor, lost, bratty kid with no parents. Though, thinking about it, Allen wondered if 'he' had ever really existed. His body contained the memories for this Noah, it was just a vessel. Perhaps this person that he though he was didn't really exist. Maybe he was just little pieces of Neah that had slipped through the cracks. Perhaps his real function was just to keep this body until Neah awoke properly and if that was the case, had he ever been real?

Everything in his body hurt. His lungs felt made of sandpaper. His heart was throbbing with each beat and the pain in the back of his throat was building to a near unbearable level. He looked down at the sheet of paper he was holding and an inarticulate cry tore from his throat. He scrunched it up and threw it as far from him as possible then curled up, wrapped his arms around his head, closed his eyes and tried his utmost to stop thinking

The white sheet of paper rolled onto its side and unfurled slightly, revealing the complex lines and patterns of the 14th 's song

Lavi wondered through the pristine white streets of the ark, gazing around in rapture at the unbelievable architecture and resisting the temptation to try each door along the way to see where they all led. This huge construction set his brain whirring with its endless possibilities and he could hardly contain his childish excitement. He had never even dreamed of such a thing existing, let alone that they would commender it for their side! They had really struck a blow to the Noah and for a change, they had some power in their hands. The scales had tipped ever so imperceivable in their favour. It wasn't much, but it sure was the morale boost that they all needed. The only issue was that now, the question had to be asked- how had they been able to steal it from the Noah. Bookman hadn't spoken a word on the subject to Lavi but he was smart enough to fill in the blanks for himself- hence the reason he was currently hiking up the marbled streets to the top of the white citadel. Eventually, he reached the door to the piano room, where he knew he would find Allen. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, wondering what he would find inside, and whether his presence would be welcome. His hand hovered over the handle but then turned it and opened the door relieving the stark white room- Allen was curled up on the sofa, his face pressed into his knees and his arms wrapped tightly around them. His head snapped up when the door opened and for a moment, Lavi saw the grief written plainly across his face but it disappeared as soon as Allen saw who it was, and was replaced by a smile

"Lavi! You are out of the hospital wing! How are you feeling?"

"Great" Lavi grinned, sitting down on the sofa beside him, deliberately slightly too close so their shoulders were just touching to show his silent support.

"I'm tellin' you though, if that Crowly doesn't wake up soon, he's gonna starve to death. His stomach is rumbling almost as loud as yours does when you miss a meal"

Allen chuckled and relaxed his arms from around his knees, settling in a cross-legged position.

"I wonder why they haven't started an NG tube yet" He mused

"Oh wait, he only eats akuma blood doesn't he. I forgot. We should go fetch him some, its not like there is a shortage of them or anything"

Lavi laughed in agreement

"No, that is one thing that we are _not _short of here. Unfortunately, there is the whole poison situation thing though and as much as I love the dude, I ain't gonna go get myself turned to dust so he can get a good meal"

* * *

>They continued to chat light-heartedly, steering well away from anything to do with the Ark, Cross, or Lvierre and as they spoke, some of the tension left Allen's shoulders and slowly, some of the sadness left his eyes too.<p><p>

Lenalee made her way to her brothers office, her usual tray of coffee's balanced expertly on one hand. She had even gone as far as to pick out one of his favourite biscuits- feeling slightly sentimental after having so many close shaves with death. She bumped the door open with her hip and entered with a wide smile. No sooner had she entered the room than her smile froze and her muscles seized up. Lvierre was sitting opposite her brother and she caught the words

"Walker is a traitor and shall be treated as such"

She seemed to have lost control of her body and her legs were shaking so badly she was actually struggling to stay upright. Lvierre turned round in his seat and his leer widened. Shock waves of fear hit her as she saw that familiar expression and it brought back so many memories. She could see Komui's apologetic expression behind Lvierre's head. She knew he was saying something to her but the blood was pounding so loudly through her ears that she couldn't even hear his words. She stuttered out some apology or other and deposited the tray on the nearest table, sloshing the coffee over the rims of the mugs as she did so then spun around on her still malfunctioning legs to escape the office.

She wondered through the corridors, every nerve buzzing and jittering. Her entire body was in flight mode but her brain was so scrambled she couldn't organise it in any one direction. Eventually, she walked strait into someone's chest and bounced back, landing painfully on the floor. The fall knocked the breath out of her and it took her a moment to gather herself. A hand extended itself into her field of vision and she followed it up with her eyes to see who it belonged to. Kanda stood in front of her, his expression somewhat concerned. She caught his hand and let him pull her upright

"Sorry" She muttered

"I wasn't really looking where I was going"

Kanda said nothing, but simply looked at her. Lenalee swept her hair in behind her ears and gestured generally behind him

"Well, I had better, you know..."

Kanda put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks and, with some effort it seemed said

"I was going for a walk outside. Do you want to join me?"

Lenalee gaped- as stiff as his words had been, they had actually sounded genuine. She was so shocked however that she completely forgot to respond. Kanda's back stiffened slightly and his lips straitened into a thin line

"Well. I will see you lat..."

"No!" Lenalee gasped, regaining control over her voice box

"I'd love to walk. With you. Outside, yes if that is all right with you I mean" She trailed off slightly awkwardly, mentally kicking herself even as the disjointed words came out of her mouth. Kanda's lips twitched slightly then he nodded and offered her his arm which she gratefully seized, relieved to have something solid to hold onto.

They walked in silence through the twisted corridors till eventually they exited one of the side doors that opened to a small path that meandered its way precariously down the black cliff. The silence between them started off as awkward with Lenalee's brain whizzing at a thousand miles an hour. As they walked down the path though, her thoughts began to quieten, her concentration shifting from her childhood trauma to maintaining her footing on the uneven, rocky surface and on Kanda's presence and warmth. They manoeuvred their way down the narrow path, still arm in arm, turning diagonally when the path became too narrow for the two to walk beside each other rather than let go of the other's arm. By the time they got to the base of the path, Lenalee's legs had stopped shaking and her fear had calmed to a near-bearable level.

They wondered along the base of the mountain till they found a flat rock and they both sat down simultaneously. Kanda stared out over the ocean which swept up to crash against the rocks in front of them, showering them in fine mist. His arm relaxed down and Lenalee let hers fall too, glancing up at him to try and judge whether he wanted her to let go or not. She didn't want to, already missing the comforting pressure and his support. In a rush of madness, she let her hand fall down and land on top of his so their arms were still entwined slightly. She flushed darkly and ducked her gaze down to stare at her feet intently in case Kanda turned his head and caught her eye. She felt his hand turn under hers and for a terrible second, she thought he was going to pull away but instead, he entwined their fingers. She lifted her gaze, but this time, Kanda had turned his head away, and she could swear she saw the beginnings of a blush on his pale cheeks. Not wanting to embarrass him, she dropped her head again, her gaze falling on their joined hands. A warm feeling of content bloomed in her chest and she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to say. Eventually, her words returned to her

"Thank you" She whispered- barely audible, her voice seeming to have betrayed her and buggered off somewhere back up that cliff path. There was no response and for a moment she thought he hadn't heard her but then-

"It's fine. I get it. Lvierre brings out that reaction in most people"

A cold shard stabbed her heart at the mention of that man's name and silence fell for another few minutes.

"You were in the order at a young age too weren't you?" She said. Her voice seemed to have returned slightly. She felt Kanda's hand tense slightly under hers and she wondered what his life had been like. Maybe Lvierre had tortured him too. She knew so little about his life before they had met, and he wasn't exactly all that forthcoming with personal information. All she knew about him really when she thought about it was that he really loved his sword, he _hated _being called Yuu and he preferred to work alone.

"I was quite young yes. The order took me from my family at roughly seven and trained me from then on. I had no real interaction with Lvierre though if that is what you are asking. Merely with his lackeys"

Lenalee wondered what it had been like for him as a child, to have been taken from his family and trained to be a soldier and such a young age. At least she had Komui to look out for her but perhaps he had never had any one who cared for him. It would certainly explain most of his antisocial tendencies. With a small sigh, she lent against him, dropping her head down onto his shoulder and squeezing his hand slightly

"How did the fate of the whole world end up relying on a group of messed up kids" She whispered, a tear tracking down her cheek. She jumped slightly as Kanda reached over and wiped it away, making eye contact for the first time since she face planted into his chest

"The whole world is messed up" He said rather gruffly

* * *

>"We just have to do the best we can with what had been given us. There's not much else we can do" Having delivered his speech, he turned back again to stare out at the sea and Lenalee buried her head in his side, the tears sliding uncontrollably down her face now. Kanda didn't say anything else and merely waited for her tears to subside before standing again and offering his arm. They walked back up the hill in silence and on reaching the door, in wordless agreement, let go and walked in opposite directions down the corridor of the Order.<p><p>

The dinner hall was a bustling hub of activity but there was one table being avoided by every one- groaning under the weight of food stacked high. Lenalee made a beeline for it as soon as she entered

"Hey Allen" He said, cheerily as she slid into the bench beside him

"Mind if I steal something" She gestured toward a tall stack of pancakes hopefully. Allen paused midway through a plate of bacon to scrutinise her carefully. Clearly coming to the decision that he valued her friendship highly enough to allow her some of his food, he nodded graciously, offering her a jug of maple syrup

"Cheers" She smiled thoroughly dousing her food before digging in with gusto

"You are looking awfully cheery" Lavi observed from Allen's other side, peering curiously at her

"What's put you in such a good mood?"

"What?" Lenalee said rather defensively "Amn't I usually cheerful?"

"Well, yeah" Lavi replied carefully "But just with everything that's been... with... Whatever. I'm glad you've cheered up anyway"

Lenalee flushed slightly and smiled mysteriously, before turning back to her pancakes. Allen and Lavi exchanged perplexed looks

"What..." But before Allen could complete his sentence, he was distracted.

A tall, blonde man was standing just to his side, rather officiously, staring at him in a manner which indicated he wished to have his attention but did not wish to be rude

"Er, Good morning. How may I help you?" Allen said tentatively, unsure of who this man was or exactly why he was interrupting his morning feast. The odd man saluted Allen and, staring off at a point directly above his head reeled off

"Good Morning Allen Walker. I am Inspector Link and I have been assigned to you for the foreseeable future. I hope you will cooperate with the Order's inspection"

He held out a freshly cooked cherry pie

"This gift is an offering of goodwill, to facilitate our future partnership"

Allen's grey eyes lit up at the sight of the delicious pie, and Lavi had to actually grab his wrist to prevent him from digging strait into it

"Oi! What do you mean investigation?"

This questions seemed to snap Allen out of his momentary insanity brought on by the delicious pie with its golden crust and intoxicating smell... shaking his head he focussed on Link

"Yes, Mister Walker here has been charged with treachery and so is under official investigation to ascertain blame and extract information"

Allen winced ever so slightly at the use of the word 'extract'

"What do you mean treachery?"

Link raised a single eyebrow at his charge and instead of answering, he produced a stack of papers as tall as he was

"These are to be completed today. I suggest we find more private quarters to fill them out in"

Lavi stood, his face uncharacteristically serious

"Come on Allen, we can go to the library"

He carefully registered the expressions of the finders and exorcists as they watched the three walk out of the diner hall.

Typical Lvierre to do things so publicly. Sowing doubt among the troops was an incredibly effective way of turning them against someone. Outright accusing often would cause outrage but gossip and hints and insinuations... by the end of the week, only those who knew Allen would doubt that he was a traitor and even some of those would potentially be swayed by public opinion. Lvierre was definitely no fool when it came to manipulation.

They were on their way to the library when Allen ducked suddenly into one of the rooms along the way. He marched up to one of the sofas and dumped the stack of papers he was carrying on the top of Cross's head

"Oi, idiot, what do you think you are doing?" The man snapped irritably, twisting around to see Allen glowering down at him

"Exactly _when _were you going to get round to explaining this all to me" He shouted, his anger finally bubbling to the surface and breaking through his veneer of calm

"I am under investigation! I am being called a traitor! What are you... oi!" Two of the Crows standing guard seized Allen under the armpits and dragged him backwards out of the room

"You are forbidden from any contact with the general" One of the soldiers snapped before throwing him out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Allen landed hard on the ground with the papers scattered all around him. He glared furiously at the door and for a moment looked like he was going to try to break the door down but with visible effort, he contained his anger. Instead, he gathered up his papers and stalked down to the library in an ill-tempered fury, completely blanking out Lavi's attempt at light hearted humour. Part way along the corridor, he glanced up at one of the floor length mirrors. His heart jolted painfully in his chest but he forced himself to carry on walking. A hulking black shadow was grinning at him from the reflection. Suppressing a shudder, Allen pushed open the door of the library and settled down to what promised to be a very boring day of paperwork. Link sat directly beside him for an hour solid, watching him as he filled in sheet after sheet of prying questions without making so much as a sound. His grip tightened around the pencil and he accidentally exerted too much pressure, the lead breaking with a loud snap. Link didn't even so much as blink but Lavi looked up from the novel he was reading and saw Allen open his mouth to say something

"Hey, Allen" He said hurriedly, trying to stop his friend before he put his foot in it

"Listen to this. I think I have just found the best book of all time.. here" He sat down sideways on the bench beside him, leaning back against his arm, pressing back pointedly before relaxing against him.

"_I'd never given much thought to how I would die-though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. _Dramatic, huh? Wait, it get better..."

He continued to read out little excerpt and snippets of the book, throwing in little comments and witty literature analysis every time he thought Allen's temper was beginning to fray

"Here, _I was wearing my favourite shirt – sleeveless, white eyelet lace; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture. My carry-on item was a parka. _How brilliant is that description? See how it draws to attention the weather differences between the place she is leaving and Forks? It re-emphasises her disappointment in moving there- Her favourite top is only suitable for her home state and she would have to add the parka for the outfit to work in Forks- Some serious literature going down here. Hope you are taking notes!"

Allen let out a half snort, half laugh

"Seriously, what is that rubbish that you are spouting- surely that isn't actually a _published _book is it?"

Lavi nodded in affirmation holding it out to Allen for inspection

"I promise you, this is actually published material. Best seller in fact"

Allen shook his head in disbelief

"Aaaand I have just lost faith in humanity. Great. Now what am I fighting for?"

Lavi chuckled but their mirth was stunted- Link's cold eyes boring into the backs of their heads, reminding them that everything they said and did was being taken down

"Just to clarify" Allen said, somewhat tritely to his guard dog

"That was a jest. A joke. A pun, if you will. In other words, a sentence intended to make people laugh and in no way was based on any true feelings I have. I do not believe that humans are terrible beings and should all die to be replaced by Noah"

"Just perhaps this one" Lavi butted in, sniggering and waving his book like it was some filthy rag. Link didn't so much as bat an eyelid at their antics and continued to watch the two until they settled back into a mildly uncomfortable silence.

Pretty much every interaction the two had in the next few days followed the same pattern. Link would skulk in the corner and watch Allen like a hawk but barely ever spoke and not even Lavi could get a single reaction from him. Allen seemed to have grown used to the man's constant presence and chatted away amicably to him, battling on despite the stony silence or short retorts he received in answer to each attempt at civility.

"Hey Link, you should really try these blueberry muffins. I have no idea what it is that Jerry does to them but they taste like perfection muffin-ified. I promise"

Silence

"Here" He offered one of his muffins to Link as Lenalee and Lavi watched in stunned silence- Allen was offering someone else his food? Of his own free will? What was going on in this crazy, crazy world? Even Link seemed somewhat surprised and stiffly accepted the muffin with a curt

"Thanks"

Allen grinned widely, looking very pleased at having finally elicited a response

"No problem"

One of the exorcists walking down the isle, preoccupied by balancing his precariously stacked tray of food glanced up when Allen spoke and suddenly realised where he was, shock registering on his face. He did a sharp about turn, almost dropping all of his food in the process and scurried backwards, taking a long detour to avoid passing their table. He sat down with a group at the far end and muttered something.

An awkward atmosphere settled over the table. They all had seen what had happened and they all knew why it had happened

"Chauji really doesn't like me huh" Allen said softly as Chauji spoke loudly from the far off table of exorcists. The words "Traitor... Noah... Walker" drifted over and Allen shook his head, smiling sadly

"I just wish I could explain things to him without him flipping out but he really has got it set in his head that I am evil. I mean I know it is just misplaced anger from the whole Anita thing but... well, I just wish I could explain to him why I didn't just kill Tyki" He sighed and shook his head

"Never mind. It's fine"

Tears brimmed in Lenalee's huge eyes as she watched her friend and with a sudden burst she reached over and engulfed him in a huge hug

"I'm sorry Allen" She cried squeezing him so tight the air was driven right out of his lungs. Allen's eyes, wide with sock locked onto Lavi's who sniggered childishly. Lenalee eventually let go and Allen wheezed out a thank you, massaging his bruised ribs.

"Oh hey there Kanda" Lenalee said, smiling widely but the blue-haired samurai-wanabe swept past them without so much as a backwards glance. Lenalee dropped the hand she had raised in welcome and her face fell.

"Oh" She said softly then smiled brightly again as if nothing had happened

"You know" Allen said carefully

"As annoying as BaKanda is, I feel the need to point out that for someone as reserved and socially inept as him, hugging someone is the emotional equivalent of making out. Not that I am insinuating that you two are in any way interested in each other but you know... if you _were _he probably wouldn't respond well to you hugging another guy. Particularly me" He shrugged one shoulder casually. Lenalee's eyes widened in realisation and she jumped to her feet

* * *

>"Tell him I said anything and I will actually kill you" he yelled after her as she fled the scene "Can't have him knowing I willingly helped him" He muttered turning back to his food "I'd never live it down"<p><p>

* * *

>The peace that settled over the Order as usual was too good to last. They had only begun to recover from their last battle; Komui was repairing Lavi's weapon, Lenalee had been relieved of her 'dark boots', Crowly was still in the hospital wing along with a collection of other finders and exorcists. Allen had reached the acceptance phase with his constant companion and had finally convinced the Order to allow him to visit Mai and the rest of the wizards to update them on his survival and to corroborate his story to the Order. Much to his and Lavi's delight, Lenalee was spending increasing amounts of time meditating with Kanda (Komui had yet to catch on to this budding romance). Things had just reached an even keel when, mid-way through breakfast, Allen's eye activated. He leapt up with a cry, dishes clattering to the ground around him as he ran out of the hall, Lavi, Bookman and Link hot on his heels. They skidded to a halt outside the room where the science division had been conducting experience on the Akuma egg. A huge black gate, not dissimilar to the one's Neah's ark created was blocking their progress. Allen activated his innocence and struck a blow to the door but it barely made a dent<br>"Lavi- alert the exorcists" He shouted, closing his eyes tight, summoning a blazing white door with the number '3' etched into its front  
>"Tell them Noah have invaded the Order and have the science division trapped. This door leads into the room. Bookman and I are going in now. Hurry!" Lavi took off at a sprint and glanced back, to see his friend, his mentor and Link disappear one by one through the white light.<p><p>

* * *

>Allen watched in horror as a black mass worked its way over Bookman's face- he didn't have any idea what the Akuma had done to him but it looked as if he was slowly being poisoned. He struggled futility against the Akuma holding him and glared furiously at Lulabell who was watching his efforts, a snide smirk on her face<p>"Did you really think you had any chance fighting us with just the two of you? How arrogant you-"<br>There was a loud crack as Allen wrenched himself out of the grip of the Akuma with a sudden effort and dissaperated in front of her, re-materialising beside Bookman.  
>He sliced through the black strands that had strung him up to the wall and lowered him to the ground before de-materialising with another 'crack' and appearing on top of the egg which was slowly disappearing into the black gate Lulabell had summoned. The Noah snapped her head around, an expression of disbelief on her face but she wasn't able to follow him, lest she too be sucked into the black gate<p>

"Arresto Momentum" Allen yelled, his feet mere centimetres away from the inky surface that was devouring the egg inch by inch. Its progress slowed slightly. He waved his wand again and thick cords sprung from his wand tip, looping around the egg and leaping up to the rafters and pillars, wrapping around them and anchoring the egg. There was an ominous creaking noise as the opposing forces fought over control.  
>Allen cast a levitating charm, a feather weight charm and every other spell that came to mind to try and pull the egg back to the surface. Lulabell roared in anger and Akuma after Akuma shot at him. Allen spun around but it was too late- he closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow the formost Akuma was throwing at him but the blade never hit. He opened his eyes to see Cross, Miranda, Marie and Tiedol outlined sharply against the white light of his gate. The generals had joined the battle.<br>Allen watched in wide eyed shock as the sliced through the remaining Akuma as if they were nothing. Tiedol summoned a series of vines which wrapped and writhed around the group of injured scientists, forming a solid wall of vegetation which looked surprisingly impenetrable. Miranda cast one of her shields around him and the egg he was straddling and he heard her cry  
>"Reverse!"<p>

Slowly but surely, the egg began to rise bit by bit out of the black surface. Allen spun around but Lulabell had disappeared from sight. He climbed down off the egg, the adrenaline buzzing through his veins. He stumbled over the rubble scattered over the ground to join the generals in clearing off the remaining Akuma. The department was a crumbling mess of destruction and it took a while to pick out all of the science division members, dead and alive and ushered the ones still capable of moving out of the room.

There was a loud cry and Allen's stomach jerked. Not again. He turned to see Miranda suspended mid-air in a ball of water  
>"Lulabell" Cross spat bitterly, activating his innocence again<br>"She can transform into anything"

Allen watched in horror as Miranda lost control and the egg began to sink back down. The generals launched a barrage of attacks on it trying to destroy it before it sunk completely and returned to the Earl. Allen shot a bubblehead charm through the sphere of water and (after a few attempts) succeeded in hitting Miranda. A bubble formed around her head and shoulders providing fresh air, and he was relieved to see her spluttering and coughing up the water that had filled her lungs. The eggs descent slowed slightly again. Lulabell snarled as cracks began to criss-cross over its surface, the general's attacks finally making an impact on the device. She swung Miranda's weakly struggling body down and pressed it against the egg  
>"If you want to destroy it you will have to kill her too" She cackled madly.<p>

Allen turned to the generals wide-eyed but saw clearly in their fiercely determined faces that they were not going to stop to save the life of one exorcist. In desperation, Allen dissaperated once again, materialising over Miranda, shielding her with his own body and simultaneously driving his innocence deep into the egg as it was completely submerged in the black gate.  
>He could feel Miranda struggling weakly beneath him which at least was a sign that the bubblehead charm had worked and she was still alive. Allen forced his blade deeper into the eggs surface, desperately hoping against all hope that it would shatter before he suffocated. The cracks spidering out from beneath his blow widened and with a splintering noise, the egg shattered., the noise of it breaking mixing with Lulabells tortured screams. With a wrench, Allen felt his body being jerked back to the surface as Miranda gained enough consciousness to pull them back up with her innocence. She promptly fainted as they reached the surface and her body went slack in Allen's arms. He checked her pulse and was relieved to feel it throbbing steadily, if rather faintly beneath his fingers<p>

"Good shot" He threw casually at Cross as he straitened, Miranda cradled in her arms  
>"Knew you'd be fine" Cross replied equally flippantly, throwing Allen a smile.<br>Allen grinned internally, surprised and slightly pleased that the man- for all his insults and snide comments, actually believed in him. At least a little.

Allen deposited Miranda's limp body inside the ark door, figuring she'd be safe there at least till they could take her to the hospital bay. Something was still bothering him, his eye was twinging insistently and there was a deep sense of unease, born from years of fighting, bubbling up in his stomach. Something was still not right. He knew the generals could feel it too- no one was celebrating what appeared to be a win on their side. Tension still clung to the air.

Allen scaled the huge chunks of rubble that had fallen from the ceiling as the egg had pulled huge chunks of the pillars down with it. Lvierre was gonna be _pissed_. He waved his wand as he went, and a gust of air swept from it, cutting through the thick white fog that was pouring from the Akuma corpses. As it cleared the area in front of him, he recoiled in horror.  
>The floor was stained black with blood- the corpses of finders and scientists lying decapitated and twisted in the ever-spreading stain. One of the finders reached out to him even as the pentagons spread over his skin<br>"It... the akuma... it _evolved" _he gasped before the poison overtook his system and he dissolved into black ash.

Allen raised his eyes and out of the clearing fog, a hideous Akuma appeared- its body child-like but twisted. Wrong. Allen's eyes however were not on the physical body but rather on the soul attached to it. A wave of nausea hit him so hard it took the air from his lungs and he fell, emptying the contents of his stomach on the ground. He could barely force himself to look back up again and it took all of his strength not to close his eyes. It hurt to look at that soul. Hurt physically. Every beat of his heart brought a new wave of the pain. Searing and sickening. _How could this abomination even exist_

The creature giggled as it approached him. He could feel it coming closer but he couldn't look, couldn't see that twisted, tortured-  
>"Hey mister, are you crying?" the Akuma asked- its voice distorted and its speech childish<br>He could feel it getting closer but he couldn't do it. He couldn't look. A hand enclosed around his wrist and he leapt in shock. One of the scientists was still alive- Jonny- he was shaking, covered in blood but alive. He was still alive.  
>"Help up" he gasped, his eyes brimming with tears and his voice trembling with terror<br>"You've got to help us Allen. Save us. Save us!"  
>Allen surged to his feet, drawing his blade, his eyes narrowed and he stared defiantly at the Akuma as he turned to face it<br>"I _will _destroy you, level 4!"

* * *

>Link ran through the white streets of the ark, pausing for a second at the door as he saw the innate body of Miranda Lotto- the new exorcist- wielder of the time altering innocence. She was alive, breathing shallowly but alive. She was not his task anyway. He ran through the blazing white door and entered a scene of terrible destruction. The Generals were engaged in fighting an Akuma the likes of which he had never seen before. A level 4 he assumed. New evolutions, this was a sign of the end-of-days. He moved on, searching for his charge. It took him a few moments to locate the inert form of the teen, lying face down on the landing two floors up. He reached the boy's unconscious form with difficulty as many of the stairs had been destroyed. The boys invocation had deactivated and instead of the distinctive white coat, he was once again garbed in his exorcist uniform. Link turned his body round and roughly shook his shoulders. The boy's white lashes flickered and his grey eyes slowly flickered open, his pupils focussing and defocussing as he struggled to maintain consciousness.<br>"This is not the time to sleep" Link said firmly to his charge as he sat up slightly, his small body dwarfed by Link's  
>"We need you to fight"<br>Allen turned to look back at the battle field  
>"Bookman..." he gasped, his voice weak "Cross... Tiedol..."<br>Link raised his gaze too and gaped at the destruction- surely, surely the Generals had not so soon been defeated?

Lavi glared at the charge nurse who was staring him down, her hands on her hips and nostrels flaring  
>"Get. Back. In. Your. Bed" She spat, fury vibrating through every word<p>

Lavi was standing almost nose-to-nose with her in front of the huge oak doors that were seperating him and Lenalee from the rest of the Order. Lenalee was hanging around uncertainly behind him, clearly struggling internally with her brothers orders to stay and her desire to help her friends. There was another series of crashes and booms from beyond the door. Someone screamed and the entire structure shook

"Let me out right now" Lavi yelled, all thoughts of politeness out the window

"People are _dying _out there. My friends are _dying. _LET ME OUT"

He tried to push the matron aside but she grabbed his arm and shook him, like he was some naughty child

"What do you think you are going to do?" She said, her voice intense but intreating. Her eyebrows were drawn together in an inverted 'v' and all of a sudden, she looked very old and very tiered

"You have no weapon, no way to defend yourself. I know you want to help, I know you do but you _can't. _You simply can't. Don't you understand? Your innocence is still under repair, if you joined the battle you would be no help to anyone. The best thing you can do is stay here and wait for it to end then try your best to help"

Lavi wrenched himself from her grip, breathing heavily but some of his fury had cooled

"I can't just wait" He wailed, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than he had ever felt before

"I can't just sit here while they die. I can't. Let me go please, I'll find my innocence, I'll make it work somehow. I can't just sit here while Allen and Bookman and all my friends are out there _dying _to protect me!"

The matron straitened her back, her face visibly ageing

"Welcome to my world" She said, somewhat bitterly

"Please" Lenalee said, reaching forward to catch both of the matrons hands in her own

"I promise, all we will do is visit Hevlaska. If she can give us our innocence back, we will fight and if not we won't. We're no safer here than there and I swear to you we will not join the battle unless we can defend ourselves" Her voice hummed with emotion and the Marton visible wavered then in a smooth motion, moved aside

* * *

>"Please, don't die" She whispered as they ran past her, through the door and into the pandemonium of the Order<p><p>

* * *

>Lenalee lay gasping on the cold metal grating, fear like she had never felt before in her life coursing through her body. Hevlaska leant towards her and deposited the innocence in her hands. It liquefied as soon as it made contact with her skin and all of a sudden, she knew exactly what she had to do. Kanda was fighting somewhere back up on the upper floors, protecting all those people he claimed to hate with weapon after weapon as each shattered beneath his power. Lavi too was battling with his barely formed innocence, and was already injured. Allen was somewhere high above her throwing himself recklessly at the Akuma, so severely beaten she wondered how he was even moving. Lvierre stood, separate from all the chaos and pain, observing her with hooded eyes as she raised her cupped hands to her lips, comforted by Komui's arms around her. This was for him. For Kanda. For Allen. For Lavi. She could do it again. She could take the pain, could take the weight on her legs again. Could take the fighting if only, if only they could be saved.<br>She would give her all if it meant her loved ones living another day  
>In a swift motion, she tipped the innocence into her mouth and swallowed. The familiar, obliterating pain pulsed through her body and a black substance burst from her heels, trickling down her ankles, like black blood.<br>Above her innate form, Allen was battling furiously with the level 4. He blocked one of its attacks with his blade. The energy pushed back powerfully against him and his arms trembled as his innocence shook. A cry tore from his lips as he struggled to hold the surge of energy back and all of a sudden, two hands encircled his. One from Kanda and the other, Lavi. Both boys gripped his arm, strengthening it and linked arms behind his back, joining their power together and pushing back against the Akuma. With a swift movement, Allen twisted the blade and defleacted the beam off. All three of the boys fell forward as the pressure suddenly disappeared- Allen's cloak caught him before he could land on the floor, and as a result, the next blow from the Akuma hit him directly in the chest and he flew through the air. The Akuma was above him in a split second. It gripped him by his coat and pulled his limp form closer to its deformed and _wrong _face. Before it could decapitate him, or gloat, or do whatever the hell it was planning on doing however, Lenalee landed with bone-shattering force between Allen and the Akuma. Black boots once again encircling her legs  
>"You don't get to touch my friends" She spat venemously<br>"You don't get to ruin my home. You have no right"  
>And in one swift movement, she was soaring, Allen's beaten body clutched in her arms<br>"I couldn't save everyone" He gasped  
>"I am so sorry"<p>"Yeah, I'm sorry it took me so long to come help too but I am here now and between you and me, there's no way this punk is walking out of here, so lets join forces, OK?"<p>

Allen smiled that simple, genuine smile of his that she so rarely saw, but so appreciated  
>"Yeah. Let's do this" He said, and as one, they charged<p>

Allen's heavy eyes opened again and this time, they stayed open of their own accord. With surprise, he found that he could move his arms without anywhere near as much pain as he had felt previously. As he slowly woke, he noticed a small piece of paper pinned to the pillow beside his head  
>'<em>I dug through that weird belt of yours and found this cool little box of potions. Had a chat with Kanda and after looking through that potions book of yours I figured out which ones to use for what. Hope you don' t mind too much and even if you do, you're still pretty beat up. I am confident I could take ya! Hope you're feelin' a bit more human (pun intended :-P) -L<em>

Allen chuckled which made his head hurt a little. He lay for a while, dozing slightly and allowing the magic to work its course through his veins with mild impatience.

It took a hours before he was capable of standing on his incredibly shaky legs. It took a few hours more than that to convince the matron that he really was healed.  
>Having finally convinced her to let him out, he waded his way through the rubble and destruction to the cool white ark, a sense of familiarity and content washing through his stomach as he entered.<br>Allen made his way to the piano room, holding the door open for his tall, blonde shadow. He had barely even noticed his standing up and following from the hospital wing, he had grown so used to the man's presence. He quickly explained his plan to Link and when he neglected to stop him, or call down the mighty wrath of Lvierre, he sat down at the piano and began to play.

With the added power of Dumbledore on their team, the Order began to take shape again rather more speedily than it would have otherwise. Allen was less shocked than he perhaps would have been before the disastrous events of the past few weeks to find that Dumbledore was now on the run and Umbridge... _Umbridge _was running the school. After receiving this news, Allen began to feel like he had actually been the lucky one out of his friends by getting out before that Toad could take over.

Soon he had five well established rooms that he more or less spent the next 3 weeks darting between- Three led to different landscapes- a thick forest, a deserted tundra and a sun baked tropical island. He gathered the majority of his potion ingredients from these rooms. The fourth, led to this newly established potions lab which always had at least three cauldrons bubbling away at any one time, producing batch after batch of healing potions. Lavi appeared fascinated by potion making and proved rather invaluable. Although he couldn't actually _add_ any of the ingredients, or stir the cauldron because he didn't have magical blood, he prepared all of the ingredients and kept a track of each potion, contacting Allen through the gold earring Komui had given him every time one of the potions was ready for the next batch of ingredients. The 5th room was his favourite though, and led to the Burrow, where Mai was currently being cared for by Molly Weasly. He barely even saw Dumbledore who had spent most of his time stratigising alternately with Cross, the Order of the Phoenix, Komui and even Lvierre on occasion. He had disappeared into the board room with the intimidating man and had not reappeared for almost a full day. When he did emerge, he strode out of the room without so much as a glance backwards. His face was stoney and something about the light in his eyes spelt out silent fury. Lvierre seemed equally dissatisfied with how the meeting had gone, though he was a bit less dignified in his fury, slamming the door hard behind him and snapping at his Crows to follow him.

Once the Order was back up and running however, it was back to business. The fires went out from beneath the cauldrons and Allen developed a chronic tension headache that would not quit. He was now being expected to coordinate with every single branch of the order, opening and closing gates as they required it while simultaneously joining the Black Order's exorcists on their missions. Not to mention that undercurrent of strain that had ignited when he first played the opening chords of the 14th's song.

After all the madness of the past few months, all he could think about was speaking to Mai again. He had visited her on a number of occasions through the Ark however, he really didn't feel much like making another trip with Link noting his every word. Time to try out Sirius's present he figured. One of the few times he could escape from Link was when he was unconscious in the hospital wing- Link usually used these opportunities to write up his notes, or report to Lvierre, or do whatever the heck it was Crows did. Allen pretended to sleep till the nurse went to change the dressings on Crowly then he slid out of his bed and crept out of the ward, grabbing a blanket as he did so to wrap around his shoulders. He padded through the corridors, the stone floors cold beneath his bare feet. The order was completely deserted, and he didn't come across anyone on his way to his room. He emerged moments later, changed into his uniform clutching a golden mirror which glinted in his hand. He deliberately avoided the lower levels, where he assumed everyone was gathered and instead wondered till he found a deserted room somewhere in the labyrinth of corridors.

He settled down on the floor and turned the mirror to face himself, his pale reflection coming into view. He was rather surprised as to how ill he looked. His face was three shades whiter than usual which provided a delightful contrast for the deep blue bags under his eyes and the yellowing bruise that was climbing up the side of his cheek. Wishing for a moment that he was a girl and had access to concealer, Allen spoke to the mirror- reflecting that the gift would have been a whole lot more useful if he had been giver slightly clearer instructions on how to use it

"Mai Walker" He said, feeling rather stupid. Nothing happened. Perhaps it only answered to the owner?

"Sirius Black" He said questioningly. Nothing. Allen sighed rather impatiently

"Molly Weasly?" Still nothing.

He began to grow more uncomfortable, looking at his pale reflection with the ever-present black shadow in the background. An ill-gotten thought entered his head that at that moment in time, the black shadow of Neah looked more solid than he did. He shook his head firmly and banished the thought to the darkest recesses of his mind

"Harry Potter" Allen said firmly to the hand mirror which stubbornly reflected back his own face

"Ha-ry Po-tter" He annunciated loudly but nothing happened. He dropped the mirror to the ground and rubbed his hands over his face, toying with the idea of going back down to his room. He was exhausted. He was just about to leave when a voice emitted from the mirror

"Sirius!?"

Allen snatched it up, recognising the voice immediately

"Harry" he exclaimed excitedly, pleased to see his friends face in the glass rather than his own. Harry's face fell

"Oh. It's you"

"Cheers" Allen said, slightly taken aback but the teasing note very quickly disappeared from his voice when he got a good look at Harry's face

"What's going on there Harry? What's wrong?"

The image on the mirror was wavering wildly as Harry moved around the dorm room, clearly very shaken

"I... I thought you were Sirius. Sorry mate, I am glad you're ok but I need... I gotta go"

"Oi wait!" Allen shouted as Harry made to drop the mirror back in his trunk. He was all of a sudden on his feet and his heart was thumping as the panic from his friend infected him

"Tell me what is wrong"

"Voldemort has Sirius in the Ministry of Magic" Harry said tersely, his voice hurried

"I saw it in one of my... visions. He's torturing him" his voice broke slightly there

"I'm going to get him" He said firmly. He moved toward the trunk again and Allen shouted

"Wait, wait half a second! You can't just... you... OK fine" Harry's expression clearly told him he was not going to wait for anyone

"Fine, go, but I am coming too ok? I'll be there all right? I'll wait for you"

Harry's face swung from anxiety to gratitude

"You don't have to" He protested half-heartedly

"I really appreciate this Allen. See you there"

The mirror went black and Allen's reflection returned. He stood, for a second, trembling slightly, not quite able to believe what had just happened. It didn't make any sense. How on earth could Voldemort have Sirius? What would be the point in capturing and torturing Black? The only possible reason Voldemort could possibly have for taking Sirius would be to use him as bait for the person he really wanted... Harry.

* * *

>"Sirius Black" Allen said desperately at the mirror but nothing changed. He wavered for another moment before making up his mind. Even if this was a trap, Harry was going and he had to be there for his friend. He tucked the mirror inside his jacket and took off at a run down the corridor toward the Ark.<p><p>

Allen sprinted down the corridor, his arms pumping as he skidded and swung around the corners. He almost fell as he leapt down the stairs 10 steps at a time and was powering up the corridor to the white door of the ark, feeling the pull of the piano room as he got closer. With a sudden and painful thud, he was knocked off his feet and found himself lying face down on the floor with a crushing weight on his back and his arm twisted at a painful angle.

"Allen Walker, you are under arrest for the murder of Marion Cross and the betrayal of the Order. Resist arrest and we will use any force necessary to detain you"

Allen struggled to draw breath, his lungs refusing to inflate after being forcibly emptied by the full body weight of whatever Crow had tackled him landing on his back. He struggled against the two stony-faced guards that were dragging him down to god-knows-where. He had to get to Harry, but he couldn't apperate with the guards holding on to him. They reached a room somewhere down in the depths of the order- a place he didn't recognise. He was thrown bodily into a chair and two more Crows appeared from the shadows, fastening chains around his wrists binding him to the chair and wrapping other chains with strange symbols around his chest. Lvierre entered the room and closed the door behind him with a snap. He grinned widely at Allen and sat down in the chair facing him

"Well now, so you are a Noah, a traitor _and _a murderer. How we are moving up in the world Allen" Allen shook his head, non-plussed

"I.. I don't know what you are talking about. Who is dead?"

* * *

>"Your mentor. Your <em>master. <em>Marion Cross"

"What" Allen said blankly, his mind simply not comprehending the words Lvierre had just spoken.

"I said Marion Cross is dead. You killed him" He lent back in his chair casually, a self-satisfied smile on his face as he peered over the tips of his fingers at the small figure in front of him. This situation could hardly have worked out any more fortuitously if he had planned it himself. Cross was gone and now he had the 14ths vessel in his grasp with no one to interfere

"I didn't kill him" Allen said blankly, staring wide-eyed and disbelieving at Lvierre

"Why would I kill him? Also when? You've had Link following me ever moment of every day. Unless you are worried _he _had something to do with it too- worried your own men are turning ag-"

With sudden violence, Lvierre backhanded Allen across the face. His head snapped around with the force of the blow

"You do not get to speak to me in that manner" He growled, his voice surprisingly calm- mismatching weirdly with his violence. Allen turned slowly to face Lvierre again, licking the blood from his split lip

"I did not kill my master" He repeated, annoyed by the tremor in his voice.

The questioning ran in circles.

Lvierre- We are well aware of your... difficult relationship with Cross

Allen- _Everyone _had a 'difficult' relationship with Cross.

Lvierre -You had plenty opportunity. The attack on the Order was a month ago now.

Allen- Ask Link, he'll tell you exactly where I have been every second of every day

Lvierre- We know you have _magic _(this word was spat out with contempt) His testament is not infallible considering your... powers

Allen didn't answer this, suddenly remembering what the fear and shock had driven from his mind- Harry! All of a sudden he realised that the Crows had let go of his shoulders and were currently lurking somewhere behind Lvierre. He knew that this was probably a bad decision, running would more or less attain to a full confession but his friend was in danger, he had to go. He could straiten out this whole thing when he got back. Besides, Lvierre didn't exactly look like he was planning on taking his story into consideration at all. Allen twisted in his chair suddenly, concentrating hard on the deserted shop front that covered for the Ministry of Magic's entrance. He felt the familiar sensation of being forced through a tight rubber tube, but something went wrong. Ever atom in his body felt like it was being pulled apart and with a deafening 'snap' the pressure intensified then disappeared, leaving him still staring into Lvierre's eyes, his ears ringing painfully. Blood began to trickle out of his nose, mouth and ears and dripped onto his chest. The chains that had been wrapped around his chest glowed white hot and then cooled. Lvierre grinned

"You will not escape me so easily" He hissed triumphantly  
>"Those wards will hold you in place until you have answered Every. Last. One of my questions "<p>

Allen started suddenly as a muffled voice emitted from his jacket

"Harry? Allen? Was one of you calling me? Why is the mirror black?"

It was Sirius

Lvierre and the two Crows were staring around the room in confusion  
>"Sirius" Allen yelled, hoping he would be able to hear him<p>

"Harry has gone to the ministry of magic- he thinks Voldemort has you prisoner. You have to mmhmph" One of the Crows shoved his hand over Allen's mouth and the other dug through his jacket looking for the source of the voice. He pulled the mirror out and stared at it uncomprehendingly. Sirius's confused face stared out of the mirror

"What are you talking about? What's going on? Allen- are you okay?"

Allen bit down hard on the Crow's hand and he let go with a yell

"Don't worry about me you idiot- Harry has gone to the ministry, its a trap, you need to get the Order and go get him" He ducked and struggled as the Crow tried to shut him up again. The other one was shaking the mirror and searching it as if hoping to find an 'off' switch. Lvierre growled in anger and snatched it from his hand, then dashed it against the floor, shattering it. Sirius's face reflected back at Allen, fragmented and scattered across the ground

"I don't..." He started

"GO" Allen roared as the Crow took off his jacket and tried to stuff the material into his mouth. Sirius's eyes widened and then he nodded and disappeared. The shards of glass reflected back the dull room and Allen breathed a sigh of relief. Sirius would sort it all out. Now all he had to do was survive the questioning

Allen tugged and pulled against the metal bands that encircled his wrists. Periodically, his head would drop onto his chest and each time, he jerked back upright, blinking hard. Harry. Cross. Ron. Mai. Hermione. Lvierre. Link. Their faces kept flashing before his face every time he closed his eyes. His brain was jumping from half-formed thought to half-formed thought exhaustingly

He'd promised that he would be-

What if there had been an ambus-

He missed her smi-

Had Cross really died? Wh-

Why were they questioning him? They knew he wasn't to blame for Cr-

His head slumped down again and this time it didn't rise again

Allen wondered through a black and white landscape, his feet taking him where he wanted to go automatically- as if he knew the place already. He came to a clearing, the black figure he had come to know so well standing out starkly against the white ground. He stopped a few feet in front of the figure, all of a sudden uncertain.

"Well hello there Allen" The figure said, his voice wasn't what Allen had expected. Soft and silky, his accent had a faint lilt to it, almost sing-song like

"What're you doing here?"

Allen gaped wordlessly

"Though I guess you do have a right to be here too. In a manner of speaking"

He took a step forwards, looming tall over Allen, grinning widely.

"Not that your stay will last much longer, my little stowaway"

Allen's feet were glued to the ground. It was like every nightmare ever. He couldn't run, couldn't move, couldn't so much as break eye contact. This figure had him transfixed, like a deer in the headlights. The figure seemed to grow, or he shrunk

"Who _are _you?" The voice rumbled- losing some of its softness

Allen tried desperately to wake up, to get away. The figure reached out a hand to touch him and fear pulsed through his body

"Why are you so young?" The voice asked, its hand stopping short of Allen's cheek, pausing for a moment then moving again. Allen felt the warmth from his palm, felt it's heat and-

He jerked awake with a cry of fear, leaping to his feet before the chains encircling him caught him painfully by the wrists and neck. He landed on the cold stone floor with a painful thud, his heart thundered in his chest as Timcanpy watched in concern from the corner

Had that been... could that figure have been... Neah?


	50. Chapter 50

Filthy brown water streamed in through a gaping hole in the ceiling of the Order. The concrete dust coated every surface and seemed to have smothered all the sound in the room. Mere moments ago, the entire room had been reverberating with yells but now all eyes were on the lone figure in the centre of the room. Allen lowered his wand from pointing to the ceiling and levelled it with Lvierre and the onlooking exorcists. He silently cast the protegro charm and froze in place, his other arm extended behind him, and his muddied cloak spread out at his subconscious command, protecting the inert forms of Alma and Kanda. Adrenaline surged through his veins and his whole body was thrumming with the energy. He felt invincible and the feeling frightened him. All eyes were on him and even Lvierre was wrong-footed, his power momentarily sapped by Allen's actions.

"Allen, what are you going to do?" Lavi whispered, his warm breath ghosting over Allen's face. He was trembling with fear, and in the background, he saw Bookman- who inclined his head ever so slightly. The approval just worsened the sickening feeling in Lavi's stomach. Bookman surely thought that he had given Allen the wand to gain his trust, to get further recordings, but the truth...

Whatever had triggered his foolish decision to steal Allen's wand from the science lab where Lvierre had locked it away, it certainly hadn't been any form of bookman logic. Nor had it been some ploy to get into Allen's good graces, or to follow him in the hopes of recording more valuable information on the 14th. No. There had been no rationality behind his thinking. The fear of Allen's death had spurred his decision and this thought, this terrible thought, scared him.

Allen averted his eyes from the exorcists, who were still frozen in shock. His silvery eyes met Lavi's green one.

"I am going to summon the ark" He breathed, hardly moving his lips

"When I do, I need you to help me get their bodies in. You'll have to come too, or the order will hurt you for helping me. Do you understand?"

Lavi nodded wordlessly. Something had changed. Something small but fundamental and he found himself, like everyone else watching Allen and waiting to see what he would do, what he would say. Allen took a step towards the Order and spoke again, this time, his voice carrying clearly across the room

"I am leaving the Order. But I don't want to do so without explaining my actions. I know all of you have lost many friends and allies. I don't want my departure to be taken as my abandoning the cause. I am not giving up, I am not surrendering. I am going to continue to fight this battle, _our _battle but I can no longer do so as part of this organisation. I do not fight for The Order, or for Lvierre, I fight for humanity, I fight for free will and therefore I cannot in good conscious continue as part of this company. Lvierre"

he focussed his gaze sharply on Lvierre and his tone hardened

"The crimes you have committed against humanity are comparable to the crimes committed by the Noah. I understand that in times of war, things become more complex however if you save humanity by losing your own, then the Noah win regardless of the outcome of this war"

With a flicker of his mind, he connected with the ark, the familiar tune coursing through every particle of his body. He simultaneously closed all outlying doors and opened a single, blazing white one behind his back. Lavi started forwards and picked up the impossibly light body of Alma as Allen stooped to pick up Kanda. Together, they entered the door and it dissipated instantly behind them, leaving nothing but a blazing imprint on the eyelids of onlookers.

**Oo0ooOoo0oo**

The door opened into the room Allen had been using to brew potions for the order. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with shelves full of multicoloured bottles and vials. Kanda stirred slightly in Allen's arms, then, coming to consciousness began to struggle in earnest

"Put me down, baka" he snapped, struggling to see what had happened

"Shut up and stay still" Allen retorted sharply, depositing Kanda on a bed. Kanda immediately tried to get up but Allen grabbed his shoulders and pushed him firmly back down- a fête he could never have managed, had Kanda not been so weakened

"Stay _still. _You're safe now, you're in the ark. I need to see to Alma so you shut up and sit there. Let me help him"

Kanda nodded curtly, but swung himself into a sitting position so he could see what was going on. He shot Allen a challenging look, _daring _him to try and push him down again. Satisfied that his charge was not going to leap off the bed and further injure himself, Allen turned to assess Alma. There was no hope in his eyes however, and when he waved his wand over the emaciated form, it was really to confirmed his diagnosis rather than glean any information. A mist of faint blue sparks covered Alma from head to toe and above his body, faint lines traced his vital signs in the air. His heart beat traced its jagged line across the air slowly, almost feebly seeming to struggle to reach each peak and with every beat, it achieved lower and lower heights. Allen raised his eyes to Lavi and with a slight shake of his head, communicated the futility of their efforts. With a heavy heart, he turned back to Kanda. It was obvious that despite his attempts to remain stoic and separate, he was hoping for a different answer than the one Allen was about to give.

"I am really sorry Kanda" He said softly, moving forward to face Kanda strait on. He didn't offer a hand of comfort, but instead gave the only consolation he could

"I can't save him but I can give you a chance to say goodbye properly. I need you to think about this carefully because if I go through with it, it will be hard on the both of you. I can, if you wish, block the circulation to the lower half of his body which will allow his heart to fill properly and circulate the necessary volume of blood to his brain. He will regain consciousness. It won't save him, but it will give you some time. He won't be in any pain, I promise you that"

Kanda focussed his eyes determinedly on a spot directly behind Allen, a muscle in his jaw jumping periodically. He cleared his throat a couple times

"H-how long?" He asked, still glaring fiercely at the wall, clearly furious that his emotions were showing

Allen turned and consulted the blue lines still hovering above Alma's body, constantly erasing and rewriting themselves

"I would estimate ten minutes, although with his regenerative capabilities, it may be longer"

Kanda pressed a hand against his mouth, as if trying to physically hold back his voice

He nodded curtly

"That would be... yes I..."

He nodded again, clenching his jaw tighter

Allen instinctively gripped his shoulder, squeezing tightly, then letting go just as suddenly, lest his gesture be taken for sympathy.

He turned back to Alma, saying to Lavi as he took out his wand

"Give Kanda some of the blood-replenishing potion, please. And a little essence of dittany in the worse wounds. They're on the second shelf over there- labelled- yep that's them.

And no complaining Kanda" He said, anticipating the protests that had just begun to form on Kanada's lips

"I will not have you going into shock"

He touched his wand to the side of Alma's neck, and allowed little sparks of magic to follow the artery around the body, shutting off the links to all the organs aside from his heart, lung and brain. On second thoughts, he retained muscle control of his arms, reasoning that the few minutes of his life that this excess circulation would cost would outweigh the fear he would potentially feel at being unable to move any of his limbs. No sooner had the spell been cast, than the ghostly white face began to pink slightly. Allen linked his mind with the piano room again and the door they had entered through begun to glow slightly before cooling again to its plain grey colour. He raised his wand once more, raising up the body of Alma and moving toward the door

"What are you doing?" Kanda snapped, though some of the aggression usually present in his voice was gone

"These are going to be the last few moments he spends on this earth. I think he would prefer to spend them somewhere other than this room" Allen replied, smiled slightly. Kanda stood, brushing aside Lavi's hand and pulling his tattered robes over his newly sealed wounds. Allen opened the door and the natural light seemed so soft compared to the harsh white of the ark. They exited onto the green slope of a hill, which eased down into a lake, sporadic bursts of flowers breaking up the waves of knee high grass. The three walked up to the peak where Allen lowered the gently stirring body of Alma onto the ground, his back resting against the trunk of an almond tree, whose pale pink blossoms were just beginning to spiral downwards, creating a patchy blanket on the ground. Allen gently tucked the wgite blanket around his legs and retreated backwards, his footfalls muffled in the thick undergrowth

"Promise" Lavi said as they walked together back to the ark

"Hmm?"

"Oh, sorry, I was sort of thinking out loud" Lavi apologised, smiling slightly "The almond tree. In Hebrew tradition. It's a bloom that represents promises kept. Or something like that. Just... I don't know. Seems fitting. Why did you pick here?" They stepped together back into the ark, giving Kanda his privacy

"Kanda and I... we came here on a mission once and we walked past this point. It was the only step in the journey where he actually stopped. He didn't actually say anything but he stopped to look so I figured he would like it. Besides, they both grew up in the Order, I don't really think there was anywhere I could have taken them that would have held any particular meaning or nostalgia for them" He shrugged one shoulder then suddenly grabbed the corner of one of the tables, blinking rapidly

"Hey, dude, you alright?" Lavi asked, concerned, reaching for Allen's shoulder to steady him

Allen shook his head, like a dog trying to get water out of his ears, pressing his eyes tight together then opening them wide

"Yeah I think so, I just don't normally try and control the ark without using the piano room and.. I.."

His knees gave out suddenly and he pitched forward. Lavi darted toward him, seized him under the armpits, and slowly sat down, resting his head on his knees

"Woah" Allen muttered rubbing a hand over his eyes

"Headrush"

"Seriously dude, are you ok?" Lavi repeated, putting a finger to Allen's wrist, checking his pulse and placing his other hand on his forehead worriedly

"I think so" Allen started but was interrupted by his own stomach growling impressively

Allen began to snigger which only worsened his light-headedness. He groaned and pressed his hands to his head again

"OK, so when was the last time you had something to eat" Lavi scolded, motheringly a small smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth

"Mmmdunno, couple hours ago? Maybe longer?" Allen mumbled, trying to sit up and immediately lying back down again, his head in Lavi's lap

"Woah" He gasped "I can't see anything now"

"Alriiiighty then" Lavi said, gently lifting Allen's head up and shuffling out from underneath him

"Imma getchoo some food. I think I saw a little village down at the bottom of that hill, and I am pretty sure I have some euros left over from previous missions. If all else fails, I'll just pull out the puppy eyes. You so much as think about sitting up before I get back and I will kick your tiny little behind from here to China, kay?"

Allen hummed non concomitantly, waving Lavi off. After a couple minutes though he got bored of staring at the ceiling and made his way on all fours out the door to the piano room. His head cleared slightly when he reached the pristine room, and he managed to keep his balance long enough to heave himself up onto the piano stool, though his ears did fill with an incessant buzzing sound at the sudden change in position. He pressed down on the keys, playing a single chord. The notes thrummed through the room and it connected through the ark. He linked the piano room up with outside, and it projected an image of the hilltop into the middle of the room, making sure that Kanda was still ok. He rested his head on the top of the piano and watched the projected image. He was kind of surprised that Alma had made it this long, they had been outside for almost fifteen minutes. He wasn't really sure how long he could perceivably hold on, his body was almost completely run down but... he sat up. Kanda had started forward and placed a hand the side of Alma's neck. Allen took a deep breath and forced himself to stand upright, trying to ignore the black spots dancing in front of his eyes.

He exited the ark into the cool evening, shivering slightly in the cold air. Kanda stood up and strode over to join him

"I think he's dead" He muttered, running his fingers through his hair

"We were talking and he went quiet and closed his eyes and he isn't opening them" There was an undercurrent of tension in his voice. Allen brushed his fingers against Kanda's arm as he passed

"I'll check on him"

He made his way over the the tree, Kanda shadowing him a few steps behind. He knelt down beside Alma's body and checked his pulse.

"He's dead. I'm sorry"

He sunk down on the grass beside Alma's body and gently pulled the white blanket over his face

**Oo0ooOoo0ooO**

The steady sound of shovelling filled the air as Kanda and Allen dug a grave at the roots of the tree. The manual labour was almost comforting, and neither spoke to the other as the sunk further and further into the ground. Lavi reappeared after a while, laden with shopping bags. He wordlessly pulled Allen out of the hole, handed him a handful of chocolate bars then took his place, shooting him a deathly glare when he tried to join in again. The evening grew slowly darker and the temperature dropped even further. By the time the grave was finished, Allen had five different blankets wrapped around his shoulders and had devoured all the contents of the shopping bags. Lavi and Kanda heaved themselves out of the hole and sat staring at it rather blankly, as if unsure what to do now. Allen stood up and made his way over to join them. He could feel their eyes on the back of his neck as he approached Alma's body. He knelt down and placed one hand under his head, and the other under his knees, cradling the body ans he approached the grave. He paused momentarily as he tried to figure out how best to get the body in then, climbed down into hole. He carefully straitened the body out and on impulse, folded the white blanked back, to reveal the face again. He raised his wand and said 'orchus'. Silvery white flowers bloomed from the tip and he carpeted the bottom of the grave with them, finally conjuring a single lotus flower which he placed on the centre of Alma's chest. Lavi reached down, gripped Allen's forearm and heaved him out of the grave. Together, they filled the grave in, unanimously deciding that it was not something which Kanda should have to do

"What do you want on the headstone?" Allen asked kindly as he waved his wand over the mound of earth, causing silver roots to sprout from the ground and weave themselves into knots and tangles over the body of the grave. They rejoined each other at the head of the grave, where they welded together and bloomed into a silver headstone decorated with rough engravements of almond blossoms

"Take your time to th-" "I don't care" Kanda growled roughly staring off brutishly into the glowing horizon, where the sun was painting the land in hues of deep red, warm gold and pink as it died. Lavi exchanged uncertain looks with Allen, wondering how best to approach the highly strung man. It was completely obvious that he did care, and that this man's death had effected him on some level. Whether he had liked the boy or not was immaterial, he had been a close childhood companion and had suffered through horrendous treatment with Kanda. Whether or not they had shared a friendship did not really matter, they shared a history and deaths always strike close to home when there is a history- a simple and undeniable fact. Relationship really had little to do with it, and to be honest, Lavi had the impression that Kanda _had_ cared for the boy- or at least, had not hated him quite as much as he hated most people. Allen waited an appropriate amount of time to give Kanda the chance to change his mind but when he stubbornly remained silent he spoke again "Alright, could you tell me a little about him then? What type of person was he?" There was a long stretched out silence before Kanda spoke again, his voice still course but this time, Lavi could sense the emotion behind the anger. His voice was almost strangled, as if being forced out from behind a barrier, as if the emotions he was restraining were constricting his windpipe in revenge. "He was irritating" There was a long pause, which Allen chose not to break, simply watching Kanda patiently,his arms folded as he struggled to overcome his determined stoicism. "Always cheery you know?" He said eventually when the silence became unbearable even for him "Like, we'd be battling or wounded or hungry or whatever and he would still be grinning like a little freak. Never shut up either" he glared at the ground, his entire body tensed, as if he was literally battering against some invisible force. His jaw worked a bit and he tuned his head away from Allen and Lavi, becoming very interested in the landscape behind them "Alright, may need you to help me out a little here" Allen murmured to Lavi. They put together their heads and conferred for a moment Allen then walked over to the headstone and engraved words into the silver with his wand, speaking out loud as he did so, for Kanda's benefit "Ok, how about this Here lies Alma Karma Aged 20 An exorcist and soldier of the black order We may never know how many lives he saved In his selfless service to humankind He was an unapologetically bright light in darkness and he shone even more brightly in the face of adversity lighting the lives of everyone around him It is the heartfelt prayer of all who knew him that in death, He finds the peace Denied him in life Kanda didn't so much as flicker in recognition of these words and Allen finally acknowledged the silent signals he was sending out and tugged on Lavi's sleeve, pulling him towards the ark, leaving Kanda standing alone on the dark hill with the silver grave shining behind him in the pale moonlight.

**Oo0ooOoo0ooO**

Lavi lay curled up on the sofa in the piano room slipping in and out of a doze as Allen's slim fingers ran up and down the keys, picking out a meandering but peaceful tune, almost absent-mindedly. Lavi yawned widely turned to watch the projection Allen had running of the hillside. Kanda had disappeared some time ago off down the side of the mountain and had yet to reappear. "What are we going to do" Lavi said out loud, almost accidentally voicing the thoughts that had been running around in his head Allen refocused from his daydreaming, his fingers still picking out the gentle dreamy tune as he turned to look at Lavi, knowing what he meant without even asking "We will wait here for today, give Kanda some time to be here with Alma then tomorrow I am going to hook the ark up somewhere outside of Hogsmede. I need to link up with the Order of the Phoenix somehow and help them with their efforts. I'm sure my ark will be of great use to them and now that I am free of the black order, I should be able to offer assistance. Things have been getting pretty bad from the looks of the daily prophet and without Dumbledore to protect the school... I am just worried. Snape is the new headmaster there and there have been all these new regulations... Ideally I would find Harry and help him but we agreed last summer that it was best to cut ties- the ark isn't secure enough for him to use and keeping in contact would just increase the chances of the communications being intercepted. I really do wish I had been able to do something for him though" He sighed and stopped playing, pulling his legs up onto the piano stool and resting his head against his knees. "Alright" Lavi enthused, getting excited at the thought of meeting some of Allen's wizarding friends and getting the opportunity to see the magical world "I've been wanting to see this stuff for ages! Can we go see the school?" "I don't think so" Allen said dully, looking sad "Since Dumbledore is dead now... things have just changed. Its basically an outpost for the ministry of magic and that pretty much means that it is being run by Voldemort. Pretty sure he an his followers have something of a bone to pick with me, what with my questionable blood history and relationship with Dumbledore and H-" He broke off suddenly and leapt from the stool "What the-" Lavi leapt to his feet too, twirling on the spot, and pulling out Hiban, scoping the room for any number of Akuma or Noah creeping up behind him, his combative instincts kicking in immediately "Where?" He yelled, seeing no immediate danger and the immediate rush of fear wearing off slightly, leaving irritation in its place "I though the Earl was popping out of the piano or som- Allen?" Allen had drawn his wand and was running past Lavi, ignoring his indignation "Death Eaters. Stay here Lavi, don't you _dare _follow me. You can't use magic" He yelled as Lavi ran behind him to the door of the Ark. Allen leapt through, onto the white marbled street where four menacing black figures were striding between the buildings. Lavi teetered momentarily on the threshold before retreating back a few steps, watching from the door and battling against his instincts to leap into the battle alongside Allen Bright bursts of light were flying from the wands of four hooded men and were being held at bay by one of Allen's invisible shields but it was beginning to fai. One spell smashed through and crashed into the ground mere centemeters from his foot. The white floor bubbbled horribly and dissolved into a sludgy mess. Allen leapt back and one of his spells managed to hit the figure to his left, who fell to the ground stiff as a board. Allen was forced to fall to the ground as the three remaining death eaters shot at his already weakened shield. He raised his wand and silver daggers burst from his wandtip, speeding through the air towards the figures. The men desperately deflected the flying weapons and as they were preoccupied, Allen stunned a second one. The Death Eater to the far right however had not been taken in by this trick and with a flick of his wand, he redirected the silver knives to shoot back at Allen's head. As he leapt to the side to avoid them, two stunners shot strait for his head. He raised his wand and yelled "Protegro" vainly, knowing he would not be able to hold back the force of the combined spells but then something black blocked the path of the spells and he heard them explode against the barrier. He twisted around to see Lavi brandishing Hiban. "Hurry up!" He yelled, swinging the hammer at a scary looking green spell. It ricocheted off the hammer and took out a huge chunk of one of the buildings Allen exchanged a flurry of spells with the remaining two Death Eaters but they seemed significantly more skilled than the other two had been, and Allen very quickly had to shift from the offence to defence. The floor bubbled and cracked beneath his feet as the death eater to the right transfigured section after section- marble knives and swords flinging themselves of their own volition at Allen and Lavi. Lavi thankfully was able to deflect most of these but the second Death Eater was shooting curse after curse at both the boys, slowly wearing them down, and pressing closer and closer in on them. A black orb burst from the second death eaters wand, seeming to eat the surrounding light as it shot to the two boys. Allen grabbed Lavi's shoulders and threw him to the ground- he had never seen that spell before and had no way to defend himself from it. As they hit the floor, they heard a yell of pain. There was a moment of confusion as they tried to determine the source, but then they saw. The second death eater was lying unconscious on the floor with a huge lump protruding from his forehead and the first was frozen in fear with Kanda's sword tickling her throat

**Oo0ooOoo0ooO**

Allen crouched predator-like in front of the female Death Eater who was staring into his eyes in a slack jawed trance. Lavi shifted uncomfortably in the background- this branch of magic was endlessly fascinating to him but it made his skin crawl. Memories of Road climbing through his memories and turning him against his friends burned painfully in his minds eye and it was all he could do to stop himself from running out of the arc into the fresh air and away from the terrible memories

"Right" Allen said, rocking back on his haunches, clearly satisfied with whatever he had gleaned from the woman's mind

"The Order are clearly in worse shape than I originally thought- also, heads up to you two- you-know-who's name is taboo. As soon as you say it, these delightful people appear to take you to their lord and master so we should avoid that if possible"

"Taboo?" Lavi asked curiously

"So they can enchant a _word?" _This world of magic was infinitely more complex than he had ever imagined it to be and despite their precarious situation, he found all this new information thrilling

"I guess so" Allen mused, touching his wand to the woman's head. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed on the ground. He repeated this with the other three and ushered Kanda and Lavi back into the ark

"I have never heard of such magic before but V- You-know-who is a very skilled wizard. He knows how to do things most wizards could hardly dream at. And things no human would _dare _dream of"

Lavi shivered slightly, to have such power- it was unbelievable. He had never felt quite so intimidated and fascinated all at once. At least with the Akuma he had a weapon to defend himself but in the face of this there was no defence.

Allen seemed to be thinking along the same lines

"I want to go find Fred and George first. They will have gone into hiding but I think if I go to the burrow I may be able to track them down. I'm sure someone there will know how to get a hold of them. They have invented a stack of products with shield charms woven into the fabric. They wont protect you and Kanda against the more advanced spells but they will certainly make me feel much better about this situation"

A few moments later, they excited onto another grassy hilltop, though this one was significantly less attractive than the previous one. Rain had hammered the stalks into the ground so they had mingled with the mud and turned the slope into something of an ice rink. Even Kanda slipped as they made their way gingerly down the hill- Lavi and Allen clinging to each others arms. About half way down, Lavi's foot shot out from underneath him and he pulled hard on Allen's arm trying to right himself and overbalancing him in the process. The two of them skidded to the foot of the hill, forging a trench in the sodden mud.

"_Lavi!" _Allen yelled as he tried to de-tangle himself from the aforementioneds limbs.

"What is it _with _you and this obsession of making me fall!"

"Sooory!" Lavi moaned as he painfully got to his feet to, clutching his bruised ribs gingerly. Allen stood and sighed longsufferingly, trying to ignore Kanda as he reached the bottom of the hill in a dignified manner, smirking ever so slightly at the mud-soaked boys.

"It's fine!" He muttered, waving his wand. Their clothes began to steam gently, but remained as sodden as ever. Allen frowned, his brows knitting together. He manoeuvred his wand slightly differently and the mud began drying out into a claylike substance. He broke the spell rapidly before they were both encased in dried mud

"I can't remember the spell" He exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair and streaking the silvery strands with brown mud.

He gave Lavi a rather apologetic look

"I guess we will just have to wait till we get to the burrow"

Lavi wrapped his arms tight around his torso, trying not to look cold and failing miserably

"It's fine! We haven't got far to go... do we?"

Allen didn't say anything and the silence kind of answered his question.

"Sorry" He muttered again, looking guiltily at Allen, who's uniform was now plastered to his slight frame, rivulets of muddy water streaming off the hem of his trousers. Allen smiled his forgiveness and offered an arm to Lavi. Together, they made their way up the next slope, heads bowed against the driving wind and freezing raindrops, Kanda striding easily beside them as they went.

"It shouldn't be too much further" Allen said in a rather strained voice, five minutes later. He checked with Timcanpy again, who was fluttering next to his masters head. The tiny creature, who was leading them bobbed up and down a couple times, which he took as conformation

"Sorry I parked the arc so far away, I don't know what defences they will have up around their house and the ministry is probably keeping an eye on them so I didn't want to set off any alarms"

They crested the gentle incline and Allen raised a heavy arm to point at the shambolic building in the distance

"That's it!"

They sped up slightly, feet slipping around in the sodden ground, the thought of a warm fire and a hot meal galvanising them into movement. They had hardly gone further than a few meters however when Kanda snapped out his arm which slammed painfully into their chests causing them to come to an abrupt hault

Lavi had just opened his mouth to yell at him when he clapped a hand over his mouth. The seriousness of his expression made Allen stop short of yelling too and instead, he pulled Lavi down

"What is it" he hissed, eyes darting around, looking for danger. Kanda said nothing but raised a single finger to point into the rain, just to the side of The Burrow.

Allen screwed up his eyes, struggling to see anything in the dim light.

"I don't-" He started but then Lavi saw what Kanda had seen.

He grabbed Allen's arm

"There is someone there- look!"

The rain was streaming down now in a proper torrent however, the flow was broken in the area where Kanda's finger was pointing. How he had spotted it, Lavi could not understand but there was someone standing there, hidden from sight, and their body was breaking the flow of rain. It was impossible to tell if they had been spotted or not but Allen assumed from the lack of curses flying over their heads that they were probably safe. To be sure though, he withdrew his wand again and tapped Lavi and Kanda on their heads and finally himself, casting a disillusionment charm on all three of them. Slowly, they backed off, keeping their eyes on the invisible man. Lavi tapped Allen's arm and gestured to a second, and third disturbance in the rain. Then realised that he was effectively invisible and therefore Allen couldn't see what he was doing

"Two more" He whispered, leaning in close to the left and beside that tree.

Very carefully, they ascended the hill they had just come over and once at the other side of it, they sped back to the arc

"Okay, that was a terrible idea" Allen gasped as they burst into the arc again. Kanda threw a disparaging look at him and stalked off to one of the houses that Allen had managed (somehow, through tinkering on the piano) to link into a water system. Moments later, they heard the sounds of the shower starting. Lavi looked forlornly at the now steaming room. He could no longer feel his extremities and icy cold mud was trickling down the back of his jumper

"How are we going to get in contact with anyone from the order if they are all being watched?" He sighed, lowering himself to the ground with a groan and hugging his knees, trying to retain as much body heat as possible. Allen frowned thoughtfully then seemed to come to a decision.

"I think I know where to go" He said

**Oo0ooOoo0ooO**

Lavi shifted uncomfortably under the robes Allen had given him. Not only were they too small for him, they also were just awkward to move around in. The skirt flapped around his legs, catching him as he walked and the trailing sleeves were just a nuisance. Why wizards didn't just wear normal clothes, he could not understand. Kanda was not wearing robes, but rather had done his uniform right up so that the collar covered the lower half of his face. Allen had assured them that where they were going, this would not be remarked upon, but that having two people in an unfamiliar uniform would perhaps raise a bit too much suspicion. As Lavi was the least likely of the two to behead him for forcing them into a dress, he had been given the spare set of robes. Allen himself had his hood up and pulled over his head so that his face was almost completely covered. Consequently, he was surreptitiously holding the sleeve of Lavi's robe so he wouldn't inadvertently walk into a building, though for all the attention Lavi was giving to steering them, this was a very real risk. He was however paying just enough attention to spot their destination, and despite the temptation to pretend not to have seen it so he could continue to gawp at the shops, he gently steered Allen towards the door, Kanda following silently in their wake

They entered into possibly the filthiest bar Lavi had ever come across. A handful of hooded, bandaged and robed customers shuffled over the dust covered floor or sat at grimy booths, gulping mysterious liquids from opaque glasses. The barman looked about as clean as his bar and the filthy apron tied sloppily round his waste only hinted at having once been white.

Allen walked confidently to the bar and ordered three butterbeers, then on Lavi's excited request, changed it to two butterbeers and a firewhisky. The barman scowled irritably and swiped three glasses from under the counter. As he was filling up the flagons, Allen tilted back his head ever so slightly, so that the dim light caught his face, revealing for a split second, his scar. The barman's eyes sharpened slightly but other than that, there was no indication that he had seen anything. Allen took the drinks with a muttered thanks and they made their way to a booth in the corner of the bar, as far away from the other customers as possible. He handed out the drinks and nervously tugged his hood down even further

"What was that in aid of?" Lavi asked in a low voice

"I don't think that barman was exactly friendly- in fact if he is rooting for anyone, I would bet it is the other side. What did you show him your scar for?"

Allen glanced around carefully before replying

"It's more of a hunch than anything really, Dumbledore came here sometimes- I remember him mentioning it every now and again. I don't think he and the bar man got on very well, but they _were _on speaking terms, and most people who were on speaking terms with Dumbledore have some sort of loyalty to him. Plus I don't think a man who runs a bar like this will be too keen on the ministry new regime of control and order. Even if he does side with them, I would be surprised if he reported us. I guess we will just have to wait and see."

Lavi raised his slightly steaming flagon to his mouth and took a gulp. Allen ended up pounding his back as he doubled over in a coughing fit

"That is poison" He gasped out through a burning throat, taking huge gulps of Allen's butterbeer, the silky drink somewhat soothing the sensation

Allen chuckled and swapped drinks

"Wimp" He scoffed, taking a draught of it and downing it, flicking up his eyebrows triumphantly. The effect however was somewhat lost on Lavi as the hood was still concealing almost all of his face but Lavi could guess what he was doing

"How can you do that?" He exclaimed incredulously, taking another draught of the butterbeer

"Years of practice" Allen grinned, taking another swig

"I was a professional gambler remember? You can't gamble without drinking. Makes people suspicious"

"But you were, like 10!" Lavi protested weakly

Allen shrugged one shoulder

"I was a carnie. We are a tough bunch"

They passed the time chatting- well, Lavi and Allen past the time chatting- Kanda leaned back in the chair staring broodingly at his untouched drink. He seemed a long way away and Lavi and Allen decided to leave him to his thoughts, both for their own safety and out of consideration. He was, after all, still within the grieving period, whether or not he was willing to admit to it. The barman came over a few hours after they had finished their drinks to begrudgingly offer them a refill. When he returned, he handed a grubby reciept which, in the very corner had a single word scrawled

_'wait'_

Time ticked on, and one by one, the occupants drifted out. No friendly exchanges were given or offered by the bar man. It was the reason they all came. Anonymity and a lack of social niceties- a break from obligatory inquiries after ones health and the health of ones families. They came for the drinks and their deeds and that was all they wished to receive. The bell above the door swung silently as the last customer left- the ringer having fallen out a long time ago and had never been replaced. The barman walked over to the door and wrested with the lock for a moment before it screached unwillingly over, locking the four of them in.

Allen stood up uneasily, one hand grasping his wand and pulled his hood back.

"I take it you know who I am" He said, moving in front of Lavi and Kanda

"Aye" The man replied roughly

"And a ruddy fool you are too- waltzing in here bold as brass. You are undesirable number 3. The price on your head is more money than any of you will see in your lifetime. Fools." He spat on the ground between them.

Kanda started forward, clearly irritated by the remark

"We did not ask for you to comment on our intelligence, merely to point us towards the Order. Either help us or let us go be fools elsewhere" His tone was sharp and the barman, far from being incited by his aggressive tone, seemed to warm slightly

"Fair point, fair point. It is not for I to judge others for their foolish actions- however hopeless they may be. I am a bystander in this war you foolish youngsters are fighting. A Switzerland if you will. However, I believe I can help you somewhat with your ventures. I cannot put you in contact with the Order of the Phoenix- those naïve idiots have done surprisingly well at hiding themselves, however I can put you in touch with another imbecile who may be able to help you in that respect. He should be here any minute"

The grubby man fell silent and stared at the wall behind the bar. There was a strained moment while they tried to figure out what he meant then Lavi noticed that the barman wasn't staring aimlessly into the distance but rather was watching the painting that hung there, and it was _moving._

He nudged Allen and pointed. A dark figure was growing ever bigger in the picture. Allen squinted at it but did not recognise the man until he clambered out

"Neville!" He exclaimed joyfully and bounded over to his friend.

"It's good to see you again Allen" Neville grinned clasping him in a tight hug

"Are you ready to join the battle?"


	51. Chapter 51

Neville showed Allen and Lavi to the room of requierment where he had explained, he and some students had fled to for refuge after the Carrow's had overtaken the school. Allen sat in serious silencce as Neville explained the many horrible ways in which Allen's only home had changed in the year and a bit since he had left it. It left him with a bitter taste in his mouth to imagine that this place of sanctity had too been poisoned. He thought of Dumbledore and how much he had sacrificed and strived to make this place a shelter from the outside evils. How he had held back the tide this long was beyond him. Some of the bitterness he had felt toward the old man's scheming ways dissapeared. He had not been so manipulative for fun, or to cause pain. He had simply been trying to prevent... well... _this. _And he had failed. The thought twisted like a knife in his gut and he realised then that he had made the right decision in coming back. He had to do all he could to fix this mess that he had made.

Allen linked the ark up to the room of requierment, and slowly, with Neville's help, managed to contact each member of the Order of the Phoenix. The Weasly twins began broadcasting their radio shows from inside the Arc between their order duties, a well-stocked potions lab and healing room were developped out of popular demad by the many injured students and Order members. Allen was the main physician as he had spent so much of his time hanging around Madame Pomfry and healing his own wounds- he was nearly as apt as any healer. One of the very first things to be built whoever was an arc door in the attic of the Weasly's house so that they could evade their ministry shadows when required. When the door had first been opened, he rushed in, expecting to see Mai however with a grave face, Mrs Weasly told him that Hagrid had taken her, for fear that the ministry would do something, as her blood history was unknown. Where Hagrid was, no one knew.

He knew this was for the best however it still hit him rather hard and he couldn't help but wonder when he would ever see her face again. Still. Maybe she was better off without him

_You shall lose the thing that is dear to you_

Maybe it was for the best

Soon there was a rather smooth system developed. Links were made at certain safe-points which allowed members of the order access to the arc and therefore gave them a centralised point from which to strategize. To help this, Allen created a tactical room with a huge pin board and a map covering seperate walls. A communications system was soon developed, using the galleons that Hermione had introduced for the DA. Allen tended to leave the fighting to the order, as he, Kanda and Lavi were continuing to fight back the tide of akuma- though the earl was no longer able to create akuma, he had managed to sum a great army and it felt almost pointless- as if they were plucking a few leaves off a forest of trees with the hope of felling them but something was better than nothing. It wasn't too long however before Lavi bored of this

"Look Allen, we need to strategise more. It is all well and good destroying Akuma and I'm not saying we should stop- all I am saying is we need to gather more intel about the Earl and about how he made the Akuma. We need more knowledge if we are going to tackle this properly. And most importantly of all, we need to know why Tyki didn't die when you stabbed him. It just doesn't make sense"

"But how are we going to find anything? We can't get into the order, remember?"

Lavi grinned knowingly

"The Order don't keep the records from back then. They have never been intersted in the How and the Why, more with the Who. The bookmen however know exactly where to go to find more information about technicalities"

The two boys made their way down and down the spiralling staircase, descending deeper into the archives of the library. Allen raised the lantern higher, the flickering light dancing on the steps. After what seemed like an age, they reached the bottom, and came upon a heavy set wooden door. The rusty iron hinges screeched in protest as they forced it open between the two of them. Allen hung the lantern on an iron hook suspended from the ceiling and lit two candles from the flame, handing one to Lavi and keeping one for himself

"You take the left, I'll take the right" He whispered, the words feeling wrong in silence. The atmosphere was almost unworldly, and Allen was filled with an almost reverent feeling. The stone walls stretched up high above their heads and the thick dust that carpeted the floors muffled even their footsteps. The effect was somewhat unsettling and both boys were grateful to see the other when they reconvened at the central table with piles of documents and books for review. Hours and hours passed with nothing but the ruffling of parchment and the occasional muffled sneeze as clouds of dust were stirred by eddies of air

"I've found one!" Allen rasped eventually, his throat feeling like sandpaper

He heaved a leather bound sheaf of paper round to face Lavi and pointed to the faded, almost brown ink on the page

"It mentions a dark and unknown substance being discovered here. Something about workers uncovering it through illegal mining of a 'holy mountain'"

Lavi leant forward, abandoning the book he was perusing to peer at the page

"Yeah, I think you might be right, those dates would somewhat fit with our records- only about 10 years out from the first sighting of the Noah... Hang on."

He walked round the table and perched on the edge of Allen's seat and the two read the manuscript together

"There" Lavi breathed excitedly, pressing his finger against the page

"blah blah witchcraft blah blah angered gods... there, the sorcerer Sennen Hakushaku curséd be his name delved into the abyss and removed the demon stone from hence... Sennen Hakushaku, that must have been the Earls original name. I knew his alternate name is Adam but... wait a sec"

He leant over the table and pulled a few parchments over

"He is mentioned a few times in these manuscripts too, see here, and here" He lifting a few sheaf's of paper from the stacks piled at his end of the table. He pointing to the name on each sheet

"Always within the context of sorcery, or witchcraft. Here it is recorded that he healed a member of the royal family from a mysterious illness- he was knighted for his trouble and I assume that is why the authorities turned a blind eye to the other, less pleasant incidences"

"What do you mean?" Allen asked, who was quietly impressed by Lavi's memory. Obviously it had been part of his training as a bookman but he had read thousands of pages and yet was locating that one name with absolute ease

"Well, I didn't notice it at first however there were many reports of disappearances in this region- on the surface, they did not seem suspicious but if I remember rightly- and I probably do- when the name Sennen Hakushaku appeared on the village census, it was mirrored by an increase in disappearances. Plus this paper here mentions an incident of a curse being placed on a household by a sorcerer. They all died in a fire shortly after"

"So" Allen said slowly, piecing it all together "The Earl came across the Dark matter first. Obviously he had some powers already, perhaps he was a wizard. Is there any mention of the other Noah?"

Lavi shrugged

"Not that I came across"

With increased zeal, they delved into the files again, returning the useless books to the shelves and pulling out every record they could find surrounding that date. Their energy began to flag however as time passed and the candles began to gutter as they too ran out of fuel to keep going. Allen's head slumped down to rest on the pages of a thick tombe and though he knew he should move, it was not until his candle dripped a globule of hot wax on his hand that he jerked awake

"We should go" He mumbled sleepily, his tongue feeling thick in his mouth and his head spinning slightly with fatigue. Lavi hummed in sleepy agreement and they trudged their way back up the stairs at a significantly slower pace than their initial downward journey. Allen waved his wand over the dumbfounded guards as they passed before the blossoming protests could even leave their lips. Their eyes became vacant once again as he erased the memory of them being there and they left them smiling stupidly into the distance as they disappeared through the ark door which dissipated as soon as they stepped over the threshold.

They blinked in confusion as they exited into the room of requirement, where the sunlight was streaming through the windows. Kanda raised his head from the documents he was studying when they entered

"Anything happen while we were gone?" Allen asked with some trepidation, but to his relief, Kanda shook his head but jerked his head toward the board where there were a few new messages from the Order. Allen dragged himself over to read them but thankfully they were just updates about sightings and troop movements. He sunk down in one of the sofas and Lavi joined him heaving a deep sigh of relief and closing his eyes. The two sunk into a half doze but then Lavi jerked into a sitting position all of a sudden

"Wait! If he was a wizard, do you think there would be anything about it in the Library here?"

Allen cracked his eyes open, blinking sleepily

"mmm... maybe" He sat up too, excitement sparking in his eyes "That is actually a great... oh hang on, no" He slumped back down in disappointment

"That was before the Ministry of Magic was implemented, there were no records of magic- borns back then. No schools or anything, people were just magic or they weren't. He probably didn't even know he was a wizard. Probably just thought he was a superior being or something. It would certainly fit with his whole 'wipe out the humans thing'. Still, I guess we could have a look tomorrow"

Lavi hummed in disappointment and burrowed further down into the sofa cushions closing his eyes again

Neville threw the door to the room of requirement open, and threw his bag into the corner in disgust. He had been held back for an _hour _after class to be subjected to a lecture on wizards innate superiority to muggles and had been ordered to hand in a three foot essay detailing the many failings of muggle-kind and the harm they had caused to wizards through the ages. He started towards the fire but his way was blocked by a gaggle of students surrounding George, who was scribbling something down on a scrap of parchment, accepting coins from the students and stowing them in a battered dragonskin pouch. Neville approached the group, and they quickly dispersed at his appearance, looking somewhat sheepish. George grinned cheerily as he approached, tucking the parchment away nonchalantly.

"What are you up to?" Neville asked suspiciously

"Oh nothing much" George replied,breezily "Just a little light-hearted gambling. Business is a little slow at the moment, you understand, need to put some bread and butter on the table!"

Neville gave George a withering look, glancing pointedly at the dragons skin pouch and lush, fur lined robes which,while worn were far finer than anything he owned. George shrugged, unembarrassed

"What can I say, I have refined tastes"

"What are you betting on?" Neville asked pointedly, fixing George with a glare

"Alright, alright. You were so much more fun before you had a backbone,you know that? I'm making bets on how long it'll be before one of those two admits his love for the other" He jerked his head conspiratorially to the sofa behind him where Allen and Lavi were sleeping soundly,Lavi sprawled along the length of the sofa, his head in Allen's lap, and Allen's arm draped loosely over his shoulder. Nevile was slightly taken aback by this revelation, though even as he stuttered out his surprise,he began to think about it. They had hardly been apart since the two had arrived, and they did get on very well. Was there more to it than just friendship?

"Of course there is" Came a soft, dreamy voice. Neville jumped. Luna always seemed to appear with no warning or noise. How she did it, he would never know. Perhaps the garden gnomes had given her the gift of stealth at Fleur's wedding...

"Could you put me down for one month?" She asked George politely, handing over a couple of sickles and few knuts

"What, you think they fancy each other too?" Neville asked,rather surprised that Alen's ex was betting on his next relationship. With a boy. Not that Luna was your average girl, but even for her, that was strange.

"Of course" She replied, looking at Neville as if _he_ was the odd one for not thinking so too

"Allen doesn't let his guard down unless he is completely comfortable with a person. He would never fall asleep with someone unless he really trusted them and he certainly wouldn't chat so freely with them unless he cared for them. Haven't you noticed the change in him lately?"

Neville was taken aback but now that he thought about it, Allen had lost a lot of his formality, and he had seemed a lot more relaxed around everyone than he had been at school before all 'this' had happened. Mind you, _he_ had changed a lot since the war. It seemed to bring out the hidden nature of people. Whether good or bad. Neville turned back to look at the seeping duo and passed George a handful of coins

"Put me down for two months" He said

He hoped that they would get together. They both deserved some happiness, however fleeting it may be

Allen and Lavi sat at the head of the table, Kanda beside them, frowning but attentive. A few members from the order had also gathered and Lee was sitting in the corner of the room, keeping an eye on all the surveillance equipment.

"Alright" Lavi said, sweeping his hair out of his eyes. He had lost his hairband somewhere in a library in Germany and unfortunately, one of the things that the arc and the room of requirement seemed unable to produce, was clothing. He and Allen both looked like they had been dragged through a hedge backwards as a matter of fact. An a very dusty hedge at that. They had spent the last few weeks scouring libraries all over the world, following the trail of the Earl and consequentially, they had forgotten about sleep and hygiene. Well. Lavi had anyway. Allen looked somewhat decent having acquired a travel iron from somewhere but even his clothes were looking somewhat dishevelled and his hair was slightly greyer than usual due to the accumulation of dust

"We think we have figured out some stuff about the Earl"

"Spit it out" Growled Kanda

"We haven't got all day"

Lavi opened his mouth to make some witty reply but Allen interrupted him before he could enter an argument, shooting him a dirty look

"We managed to find the record of when the Earl first discovered the dark matter. We think he was probably a wizard- though he did not know it at the time. He is referred to as a sorcerer at times and seemed to be able to curse people and so on. Magic was rather primitive in those days as there was no overarching governing body and few magical communities. This may be why he was able to accommodate the dark matter"

"Yeah" Lavi chimed in, pulling down a map and pointing to the small village in which the dark matter had first been discovered

"After finding it, he moved here" He pointed to a mountainous range in Austria

"Probably to study the innocence. He disappeared for a while at this point then returned to the area he had originated from. People shortly after this started disappearing from the villages. Mainly the poor and unimportant"

Allen shot him a look at this but didn't say anything

"We are pretty sure he was experimenting on them. After a number of fruitless attempts, he disappeared again. The authorities found tortured and grotesque bodies in his mansion however, the body of a young girl that recently had gone missing did not reappear. We think that he got her pregnant then did something to the child to bind its soul to the dark matter"

Allen pulled a sheet of paper out of one of the bundles

"We traced him as best as we could- he took up a pseudonym- but when he reappeared, he had a little girl. We think this was Road. After this, it is a little bit of guesswork again, but he must have realised that 'special' or 'magical' people were the only ones capable of binding their souls to dark matter. People stopped disappearing and he became a gynaecologist- or the equivalent in those days. He injected promising woman's fetuses with dark matter we think. Some under his care had terrible miscarriages with deformed children and others had their children kidnapped later in their life. Presumably when they showed that they had abilities. This is, we think, how the Noah originated"

"What does it matter?" Kanda interrupted beginning to look rather irritated

"You must understand the past to understand the future" Lav said pretentiously, holding up a finger and looking self righteous. Allen rolled his eyes

"We needed to know why Tyki got stronger after I tried to kill him, and how the Noah were able to transfer into different bodies, or how would we know if we had really killed them?"

Kanda pressed his lips together, then indicated his head slightly, acknowledging their point

"So. Skipping ahead slightly, we have the Noah family. Neah plots against the Earl for whatever reason and kills the majority of them, however he does not succeed in killing the Earl- or Road for that matter- and this is why they survived we believe. The Earl held the original piece of dark matter and therefore we believe he is the source or hub of its power. This is why the Noah's souls were not destroyed when their bodies were destroyed and perhaps explains why they are so obedient to him, and turned against human kind."

"But that still doesn't explain why you couldn't kill Tyki." Kanda pointed out, impatience palpable in his voice

"Yes, well, we pieced together some knowledge from scraps of the Earls abandoned research. The Akuma are made by linking a human soul with a scrap of dark matter to an artificial skeleton whereas the Noah- as we previously mentioned- are human souls _mixed _with dark matter. When these sould were put into host bodies, they overcame the host bodies soul and maintained control over the body however inTyki's case, the human soul battled with Tyki's for domincance hence his slightly dulled power. When I stabbed Tyki, I severed the attachment of the host soul, rather than the Noah soul, as the Noah soul is stronger than the human one and cannot be destroyed until the Earl is"

"But _I _killed Skin Bolic" Kanda challenged

"You killed his _body. _I mean, he is effectively out of the game because it would take too long for the Earl to find a suitable host and wait for his soul to overcome the host soul and complete his reincarnation, but he technically will not die until the Earl does. None of them will"

"So in short, the only way to win this battle is to kill the Earl" Kanda summed up

"Pretty much" Allen said "And now we know why Neah's soul is inside me- his body was destroyed and someone bound his soul to mine. We don't know who yet"

There was an uncomfortable pause as everyone in the room avoided Allen's gaze

"Em, did you find any way to... reverse the process?" Neville asked eventually but both the boys shook their heads

"We dug up all of the research we could find but it seems the only way to destroy Neah's soul is to destroy the Earls. In fact, that doesn't even necessarily ensure he'll go away. It just ensure that Neah's soul will not live beyond my death. So once the Earl is dead, the Noah can be killed and will stay dead, but as for removing their souls from their host bodies... well..." He shrugged

"We just aren't sure"

Allen smiled reassuringly at their uncomfortable faces

"Look guys, don't worry about it. As long as I am in control, everything is fine and as soon as I lose it, my good friend here" He gestured to Kanda who glared moodily back "Has promised to release me from my fleshy prison"

Everyone in the room gaped at Kanda but before anyone could express their outrage, Lee interuppted them

"Guys! Call through from the Order. The Ministry have discovered one of our safe houses. The cottage in Forris. They are sending Death Eaters out now! We need to do something"

There was a panicked flurry as everyone leapt up from the table. Lee siezed his gold galleon and sent out a distress signal but Neville stood on the table and yelled

"Everyone stop!"

Silence fell and everyone turned to him

"Split into teams. Kanda will come with me, Allen take Lee, Seamus, pair with Lavi. Allen- you know where the cottage is right?"

Allen nodded in affermation but opened his mouth to speak

"I know what you are going to say, but they have to come with us" Neville cut across, predicting his protest before it left his lips "They don't have magic but they have already proven themselves cpable of fighting wizards and we don't have enough time to wait for reinforcments. Allen open doors approaching the cottage from the North-East, South and South West. Close them immediately afterwards. We will approch the cottage from these directions to scout for death eaters. Whoever reaches the cottage first, take down the protective charms and send up a flare. Allen will then be able to open a door inside the field and whoever is there can take them through and get them to safety. Keep your coins with you so we can communicate"

Everyone nodded and Allen ran to the piano room with Lee hot on his heels. His heart hammered in his chest at the thought of the fight but as soon as his fingers found the cool ivory, its frantic rhythem calmed and his fingers flowed over the keys with ease. Two doors bloomed in the tactical room and the third blossomed into existance next to the piano room. Lee and Allen exited this door as one

Neville and Seamus heaved Lavi up onto the table in the middle of Allen's lab, shoving all the papers and bottles off unceremoniously to clear a space. The papers whirled and floated to the the floor and the clattering of glasses as they rolled and smashed on the bare stone floor seemed appropriate for the panicked situation. Allen ran to Lavi's side, hot on Neville's heels and assessed the damage quickly, his mind whirring as he figured out a plan.

Lavi moaned and his hand twitched but fell still again.

Allen waved his wand in a sweeping motion, causing a blue net to fall over Lavi and sink into his skin. The familiar numbers and figured popped up over his innate body, a trace marking his heart rate and numbers shimmering beside it indicating the dire state of his blood pressure and cardiac output

"ABC, ABC" Allen muttered grabbing Lavi's head and gently tipping it back slightly, opening his mouth to check for obstruction. Once satisfied that there was none, he took a deep preparatory breath and muttered an incantation, performing an intricate twisting motion with his wand. A thin, shimmering ripple bloomed from his wand end, shaped like a tornado. He directed this wand towards Lavi's open mouth and the tip of the air stream entered the windpipe, stretching down and then forming a bubble over the boys mouth, providing him with oxygen. He turned to check the respiratory rate and tidal volumes. Once satisfied with the numbers, he seized a few vials from the shelf behind him, including the blood-replenishing potion, of which he drew up a generous portion into an old fashioned metal syringe. He mixed this with carefully measured doses of the other vials and once satisfied, he injected these into Lavi's left arm, which was relatively uninjured.

"I need bandaged, gauze and hot water" he said out loud, his voice trembling slightly. He didn't address it to anyone in particular, in fact if he was honest, he wasn't even sure who was in the room with him, he was so preoccupied with saving Lavi. It was therefore with some shock that he noticed Kanda giving him the supplies he had requested. He must have sent Seamus and Neville out- Allen knew they would not have left voluntarily. For some reason, he found Kanda's silent and unruffled presence calming. He took the items from him

"Thanks" he breathed and Kanda nodded curtly

"Take a breath" He said gruffly

"His blood pressure is under control and he is breathing fine. His wounds aren't bleeding that badly and you need to calm down and get that seen to"

Allen looked at Kanda with some confusion. He reached up almost dreamily to touch his forehead and when he removed his hand, it was scarlet with blood.

"Oh" he said, somewhat faintly

"Go through there, that blonde girl is patching up the others. I'll watch him"

Allen left the room somewhat reluctantly, leaving Kanda to watch over Lavi's innate form. Through in the main room, Luna was handing out mugs of boiling hot spiced pumpkin juice to the other shell-shocked members of his team who had already been healed of their minor injuries. They now sat huddled in woollen blankets around the fire, apart from Neville who was speaking in hushed tones to a small group of students in the corner- supposedly the relatives of the families they had rescued. One of the boys burst into tears and the girl beside him embrace him tightly, smiling through her tears and thanking Neville profusely. He smiled wearily and squeezed her shoulder. He shooed the curious onlookers away with a look and on seeing Allen, ushered him to one of the armchairs near the fire. Luna quickly joined them and dabbed Allen's head wound with a globule of bright orange paste. The wound stung for a moment then numbed over and she cleaned off the excess blood with a handful of gauze

"How is he?" Neville asked "What happened?"

Allen shook his head "I don't know, I missed it. I was getting the muggle-borns out of the cottage when they sent up the distress signal"

"He dodged a curse and it hit the tree behind him and it exploded" Seamus said, his face pale

"I should have cast a shield" He groaned burying his face in his hands "I'm so sorry Allen"

Allen smiled gently "It wasn't your fault Seamus, you know that. Lavi will be fine- speaking of Lavi..." He made to get to his feet but Luna gently pressed him back down

"Not yet" She said softly, handing him a box of Honeyduke's fudge and a flagon of hot pumpkin juice

"You need some fuel. I know you don't like the chocolate so I bought you some fudge. I would have made you my own special batch but sugar bean paste is so hard to locate. Daddy's crop is usually quite productive but I didn't bring any with me" She continued along this line, chatting about the many benefits of sugar paste and how it attracted kelpies, distracting Allen with her chatter. As he listened to her, the fondness he had felt when he first met her filled him, replacing the fear and adrenaline running through his veins. He finished the box and stood. Neville started as if to join him but Allen held out a hand

"No, you are exhausted- there's no point in us all staying up. You lot have classes tomorrow but I don't. Besides, as good as you are with Herbology, you are kind of rubbish with healing" He smiled taking the sting out of the insult

Neville grinned sheepishly "You're not wrong, but I want to stay with you two. Make sure everything is okay. Promise I won't touch anything"

Seamus nodded and got to his feet

"Yeah, me too. If its alright with you"

Allen nodded and the three of them made their way through to the potions room again. Kanda rose from his seat beside Lavi and moved aside to let Allen in. Allen sat down on the seat and smiled as Lavi's eyes opened

"Hey there bud" He grinned "You feeling alright?"

"What happened?" Lavi murmered

"Nothing too bad" Allen said casually, conjouring up a bowl of water and cutting through the material of Lavi's trousers, soaking the dried blood off with a bowl of hot water "You were in a minor explosion, and you're are currently wearing half a tree but we'll get that out of you now alright? I need you to stay talking if you can? Just to make sure you don't... to make sure you don't have a concussion or anything" he glanced over his shoulder to Neville and Seamus who were sitting obediently in the corner

"Could you come over here and just chat to him? Here, let me get you something for the pain" He tipped a vial of a blue potion into Lavi's mouth as Neville and Seamus moved next to Lavi's head and began chatting animatedly to him. Seamus begun acting out the whole incident using Neville as the death eater while Allen pulled the shrapnel methodically out of Lavi's leg, one splinter at a time. Taking it out, disinfecting the wound and sealing up the flesh. Hours ticked by and the conversation went from 'what superpowers would you have' to 'its euthanasia morally justified' to general chat about school, friends and life. It was rather amusing to listen to Lavi, as the combination of shock, blood loss and painkillers had clearly removed some of his inhibitions and he was acting somewhat drunk

"So you can, like, read people?" Seamus asked curiously "Like a psycic?"

"A what?" Neville asked, confused

"Yes" Lavi replied grinning "I'm super good at reading people. Watch. _You_" He pointed drunkenly at Seamus "Forgot to do your herbology homework and you are waiting till Neville goes to bed so you can steal his and copy it"

Seamus flushed and grinned sheepishly at Neville

"How did you know?" He asked

"You are fiddling with the cuff of your sleeve, which is something you do when you are nervous, you are being nicer than usual to Neville, because you are feeling guilty, plus you keep checking your watch and glancing at Neville's bag in the corner"

The two boys were amazed by this and spurred him on to more readings

"So can you, like predict how people are going to act in certain situations?" Seamus asked curiously as Allen moved up to Lavi's shoulders, removing a large chunk of bark and placing a soothing tincture on the worst burns

"Yeah, though it is easier with someone I know- so like Allen, he is fairly easy to predict when we are fighting. He is very reckless and will throw himself into dangerous situations if someone is in danger, no matter how many people he is up against. He risks his own life because he doesn't think it is worth anything. Probably because he didn't have any parents growing up an felt abandoned and unworthy of love. That effect was worsened after Mana because Mana made him feel worthy of love and treated him like a son then died suddenly, effectively abandoning him and when Allen brought him back he cursed him, so Allen felt responsible for the pain he caused his adoptive father and after that thought Mana hated him. Plus now he is worried that Mana never loved him to begin with because now he knows that Neah- the Noah inside him- was in fact Mana's brother so Mana might have adopted him because of that, rather than because he actually cared about him. So Allen is almost suicidal in battle, as he truly believes that everyone else is more important than he is"

The silence that followed this statement was the most painful one that any of them had ever experienced. Lavi was completely unaware of the damage he had caused but Neville and Seamus were staring in horror at Allen who had turned white as a sheet

"Allen" Neville said weakly but Allen sat stony faced, not a flicker of emotion crossing his face

"I'm fine" He said, smiling at the two horror-struck boys

"It's just the shock and the painkillers I gave him, he has kind of lost his inhibitions. Don't worry about it. I am almost finished here anyway"

He continued to remove the last of the splinters from the side of Lavi's head, acting as if nothing at all was wrong, his face completely passive. Lavi thankfully had shut up at this point and seemed to be dozing. By the time Allen had finished bandaging up his head in fact,he was fast asleep. Neville looked helplessly as Seamus who looked near to tears, his expression distraught.

"That's all I can do for now. The wounds and burns should heal by themselves in the next few days though he will require overnight monitoring" Allen said finally, raising his wand and lifting Lavi's body gently off the table and placing it down on a rolled out futon that Kanda had brought down from the boys dorm. The dark haired boy was sitting on a stool nearby, watching the proceedings with an unreadable expression. He inclined his head ever so slightly at the unasked request, indicating that he would watch over him

"I'm going up to bed now, I suggest you two do the same. I am very grateful for all of your help, but it is late, and you have classes tomorrow. Goodnight" He bowed to the other two ever so slightly and turned, heading up to the dormitory

"Allen, wait" Neville cried weakly. Allen paused, one foot on the stairs.. He tuned and smiled politely

"Yes?"

"Are- Are you sure you are alright? It's just... With what Lavi said..."

Allen smiled again, almost indulgently "Of course I am fine. Like I said, the medication obviously lowered his inhibitions somewhat. Besides, what he said was probably rather accurate" He shrugged one shoulder dismissively and turned again, disappearing off to his bed

Lavi did not waken until late the next evening, by which time, Kanda had abandoned his post to be replaced by Luna. The pale girl smiled faintly as he blearily opened his eyes and licked his dry lips, attempting to speak

"Here" She said, holding out a beaker of faintly blue liquid. Lavi eyed it somewhat warily, having been informed in great detail about the girls odd tastes and beliefs however,his thirst quickly won out and he gulped down two mouthfuls of the liquid which was pleasantly fresh

"I brewed it with some elderflower and angel-hair cordial. My mothers own invention. She gave it to me when I was unwell. It encourages the body to heal and wards off poisons"

Lavi slowly drained the remainder of the drink as Luna watched, her gaze steady, and faintly curious. As if waiting for him to say or do something

"Is.. is everything alright?" Lavi asked, with some trepidation

"Well" Luna replied thoughtfully "Not really, there are a whole lot of things that are not alright. But then again things are never _all_ alright. Something is always wrong somewhere. Though, currently, more things seem to be not alright than normal. So I think the answer to that question must be no. Everything is not alright"

It took Lavi's sleep and potion addled brain a few minutes to figure out what she had said, then a few more to discern if she was simply winding him up, but it did not seem so. Her face was serious, her little mouth pursed slightly as if he had posed a rather interesting riddle and she was waiting to see if she had gotten the answer right. He shook his head and decided not to pursue the matter any further

She shrugged and finished checking his dressings, then wondered off dreamily. Lavi struggled to his feet wincing as his body complained. His skin felt almost taught and he gathered that he had been burned rather badly by the explosion. He was rather surprised that Allen wasn't beside him really, he usually had to literally drag him away from his patients, and the little idiot would often go days on end without proper sleep in order to ensure that his patients got exactly the care that he wanted. It was very frustrating usually however now Lavi kind of wished that he was there. He slowly made his way to the arc, but Allen wasn't in the tactical room, piano room or Mrs Weasly's. He returned to the common room which was gotten slightly more busy. Most of the students seemed to be in their house dorms, but as usual there were a few hiding out from the inquisitorial squad. There was however, no familiar white head so, worn out from searching, Lavi gave up. The next morning however was the same. No Allen anywhere and Lavi was beginning to get rather concerned. He practically accosted Neville when he came into the common room and demanded to know where Allen was. Neville shuffled his feet rather uncomfortably, then grabbed Lavi's elbow, steering him to a quiet corner of the room

"Look, do you remember anything about what happened when Allen was healing your wounds?"

Lavi regarded Neville blankly. What had that to do with anything? He thought back hard, but his memories were out of focus and he could only remember little snippets of conversations. He shook his head helplessly

"Not really. What does that have to do with anything?"

Neville ran his fingers through his hair and puffed out his cheeks

"Okay... um... you kind of said some things..." He filled Lavi in on what had been said and Lavi's face slowly drained of colour. He couldn't _believe _it. Those recordings had not been meant for general consumption, they had just been his own speculations and thoughts. They had certainly not been meant for Allen to hear.

"Where is he?" Lavi said, desperation tingeing his voice "Please, I need to talk to him"

Neville hesitated momentarily, then nodded his head to an ornate oak door in the corner of the room that had not been there the day before. It just showed how much Lavi's injuries had effected him that he had not noticed it before

"In there. He's replenishing the potions stock or something. He's been in there since... since you said that stuff"

Lavi strode over to the door, feeling Neville's eyes between his shoulders. He didn't even know hat he was going to say. How could he have been so stupid- bookmen never revealed their recordings to their subjects. He climbed the set of stone steps beyond the door and heard Allen's voice quietly muttering

"Stupid, stupid, stupid" over and over again. Lavi poked his head around the archway, to see Allen standing over a bubbling cauldron of potion, looking rather upset. He waved his wand and the entire cauldron emptied instantly. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, then pulled a handful of ingredients out of a basket to start over. Lavi cleared his throat to get his attention, and Allen turned, flushing slightly when he saw him

"Sorry about that" He laughed lightly

"I am afraid that is the second time I have messed that potion up. I really am not doing very well today! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine" Lavi said, stepping into the room "Look Allen, I-"

Allen cut him off, waving a hand dismissively

"I know you didn't mean for me to hear that stuff. Don't worry about it. I am fine. Besides, we both know that it was true" He smiled and Lavi immediately realised how deeply his thoughtless words had cut his friend. Guilt stabbed at his heart and twisted painfully.

"Look man, will you talk to me for a bit? This can wait till later" He gestured to the now-empty cauldron "You are obviously exhausted"

Allen's smile dropped slightly and Lavi could clearly see the reluctance in his shadowed eyes, but he knew that he would agree, to maintain his mask of indifference. They sat down on a sofa that graciously appeared in the corner of the room. They sunk down onto the plush cushions and Allen turned his tiered gaze to Lavi's serious one

"Allen" Lavi started uncertainly

"I just want you to know- that stuff I said- it's not all that I think of you. I mean, the stuff is kind of true but we all have our demons from the past and I don't want you thinking that when I look at you, I see a series of symptoms and psychologies. You are far more than all that, you are kind and generous and gentle. All that stuff that happened to you could have made you hard and cruel but it didn't. It made you kind, and I just want you to know, that you're not just some string of tragedies- you are a great dad, a loyal friend and a talented soldier. I look up to you dude. I really do"

Allen's face didn't change at all for the next couple minutes, then he gave a small, shy smile- a proper one this time, and a warm glow kindled in Lavi's stomach.

"Thank you" he whispered, placing a hand on Lavi's arm. Neither moved for some time, then Allen spoke again

"I want to say something too Lavi. I _know_ that you are more than just an emotionless bookman. You are funny and kind too. You have helped us all so much, and we care for you deeply. I know that you aren't to get attached to the people you record, but we all care for you and consider you a friend. I thought... thought you should know that. That we care about you"

His heavy lids drooped slightly as he spoke and he rested his head against Lavi's shoulder. His words added heat to the flames inside Lavi, and looking down at the white eyelashes resting gently on Allen's pale cheeks, he did something he knew he should not have. He gently placed a kiss on the his cheek. Almost immediately he realised what he had done and stammered

"I- I'm sorry-" But Allen just sleepily cracked opened one eye and stretched up, placing a sweet, chaste kiss on Lavi's lips, then sinking off to sleep, his weight warm and heavy on Lavi's shoulder.

Rain pelted violently against the window and the wind was so forceful, it rattled the glass panes in their frames. Allen shivered and pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders, staring out mesmerised at the rain drops chasing each other down the glass, wondering how this amazing room worked, and how it could be showing a real view of the Hogwarts grounds if it didn''t really exist. He glanced up when Lavi shuffled into the room, wiping sleep from his eyes

"Hey you" He smiled, holding out the bottom end of his duvet

"Come join. Its warm in here"

"I'll be there in a sec" Lavi yawned and shuffled through into the arc, door still in a vaguely zombified state. He re-emerged a couple minutes later looking somewhat refreshed and carrying two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, topped with a sizeable mountain of whipped cream, studded with mini marshmallows.

"That Mrs Weasly is a queen among peasants" Lavi trilled and he carefully made his way across the floor, trying not to spill the over-filled mugs. He handed one to Allen with a wide grin and settled down on the window seat, pulling the duvet up over his legs.

"Hey, thanks" Allen said, scooping a finger-full of cream off the top and licking it with childish glee. Lavi's grin widened and he took a gulp of his own hot chocolate then leant forwards slightly

"Hey Allen" He purred "do you wanna marshmallow?"

"Hmm?" Allen grunted absent-mindedly, glancing back over. He gaped for a minute at Lavi who was flicking his eyebrows up and down suggestively balancing a couple marshmallows on the tip of his tongue. Allen suddenly realised that he was still gaping like an idiot and closed his mouth with a snap, then smirked and leant forward, placing a hand at either side of Lavi's waist. He closed the distance between the two so that nothing but a few millimetres separated their lips- he could feel Lavi's warm breath on his face. He gazed at Lavi's lips, then raised his grey eyes to meet Lavi's green one, then took a breath and said in a casual cheery tone

"No thanks, I'm fine!" and sat back, taking a dignified sip of his own hot chocolate. Lavi inhaled sharply in surprise and chocked violently on the mini marshmallows as they tried to make their way down his windpipe. He jerked upright, the movement caused the hot chocolate to slop all over his arm and he yelped in pain. Allen could hardly splutter out an apology through his laughter and the apology he did manage to produce was somewhat unconvincing considering it was chocked out through tears of mirth

"You've ruined my jumper" Lavi moaned leaping to his feet and shaking the hot liquid from his hands

"I'm really sorry" Allen gulped, calming slightly

"Honest, I just..." He sniggered again then regained control "Seriously, sorry, you can borrow my spare. We really should go clothes shopping, this is getting a little ridiculous. Unfortunately what with all this research and strategising, we seem to have forgotten to attend to the practical things of life. Like getting more clothes than the ones we ran away in"

A very moody Lavi emerged from the dormitory a few minutes later, wearing one of Allen's white shirts, which was struggling to hold itself together- Lavi being somewhat more broad shouldered and muscular than Allen. He plonked down grumpily in the hanging basket chair in the centre of the room, spinning it around pointedly so its back was to Allen

"Aw come on Lavi" Allen groaned, getting to his feet and padding over to the chair, trailing his duvet behind him like a miniature cape

"Don't be like that"

He peaked around the edge of the basket but Lavi stubbornly turned his head the other way, pouting pointedly. Allen sighed and clambered into the egg shaped chair with him, sending it swinging gently like a pendulum. He tucked the duvet around both him and sat cross-legged patiently till Lavi stopped pouting and grudgingly made eye contact. Allen was pulling off his best puppy dog eyes, a very small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth

"Hey Lavi" Hey said, in a voice which was full of suppressed laughter

"Do you want a marshmallow?" He held one out between his thumb and forefinger, peering over the top, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

Lavi snorted and slapped his hand out of the way good naturedly

"Oh shut _up" _He groaned, pulling Allen's duvet around his shoulders

"You are such a tease!"

Allen chuckled slightly, but his grin settled into a slightly more serious expression. They hadn't spoken about last night yet and he was worried about what Lavi was going to say next. They were in this pretty little bubble that he really didn't want burst with questions- especially not since the last couple days had been horrendous for him. He didn't want to have to think about what this was, or how he felt, or what to label himself as. He liked this- this kinship, this closeness. He didn't want to think about the potential implications

"So" Lavi said and his tone told Allen that he was definitely not getting away with avoiding the topic

"Do you want to have sex?"

The smile vanished from Allen's face instantly and his stomach clenched rather painfully. Lavi didn't look like he was joking, though his eyes weren't spiteful either. He seemed perfectly calm, like he was genuinely just curious

"I- wh- I don't- no! No I-" Allen stuttered to a stop as his scrambled brain tried to fix word into a coherent sentence and his whirling feelings decided what they were.

"Is that what you thought..."

Indignant he thought as his words failed again. That was what he was feeling. Indignation. That was interesting. The pit of his stomach still felt like someone had dropped a rock in it and all the lightness that had been floating about mere minutes ago had evaporated

"Didn't you hear anything I said last night?" He said, his pale cheeks flushed dark pink, anger started to bubble up

"Did you _miss _the part where I told you I really cared what happened to you and that you were important to me and... what... why would you..." He left the question hanging- not really sure how to ask, or what he was even asking, so confused were his feelings and thoughts. Tears pricked at the back of his eyes and again he was confused as to why he was reacting this way.

Lavi too seemed confused by his response

"You kissed me, remember?" I don't know how things work in your world but in mine, that is an action used to communicate interest in... well, sex. I didn't mean to upset you or anything dude... hang on actually, are you even gay? You dated that blonde chick before right? Are you bi? Or were you just being a..." He trailed off, thankfully deciding not to finish that sentence but Allen had already gathered the implications and his eyes flashed with anger now instead of tears

"I _care _about you Lavi. I care properly about you. Like, the thought of you being hurt, or the thought of being away from you, it's just unimaginable... I _care._ I don't want to be... I don't want to cheapen... I'm not interested in this being..." He clenched his fists, unable to vocalise his feelings fully

"I don't want to sleep with you, no. I want..." He sighed deeply and with that exhale, his thoughts came through a bit more coherently

"I want intimacy- _genuine_ intimacy- you don't let people get close to you Lavi, and I don't let people get close to me either but you and me, we are so alike that we can see behind each others masks. We can see exactly how many barriers the other puts up and we know exactly how lonely each other's world is. Beyond that, I don't really know. I don't now if I am bi or gay or whatever. I haven't really got the time to figure that out between the whole end- of- the- world thing going on and the whole having- my- body- taken- over- by- a - Noah thing. I'm not interested in sex or anything I want to find a genuine bond with someone and I thought... I thought you maybe wanted that too but" He shrugged one shoulder, suddenly choking on a lump in his throat. It was as if he hadn't really known what he wanted until he said that out loud and all of a sudden the reality of his emotions was hitting him. And hitting him hard

"But you obviously have something else in mind" He finished, with difficulty. There was a long and painful silence as Lavi digested these words

"You know I can't give you that" Lavi said gruffly "I'm a bookman- I amn't supposed to get attached to the people I am recording, or just people in general- getting attached means losing perspective, losing clarity, bias... incomplete recordings. I can't get emotionally invested in anyone. You _know_ that"

Allen raised his eyes to meet Lavi's challengingly

"So you are going to tell me you don't care about me? That I am nothing but a piece in this battle that you happened to follow? Are you really going to sit there and tell me that you followed me here just to record my actions?" The blazing silver eyes cut right through Lavi's heart and his words were cut off. Protests withered before they ever reached his lips and for the first time in his life, he was lost for words

Allen stood up, dropping the blanket behind him

"Look Lavi, whether you want to admit it or not, you care. You care about me, and Lenalee and Kanda. And so does Bookman. He is breaking his own rules and do you want to know why? Because as superior as you two like to think you are, you are human too. And being human isn't always a weakness. It can be a strength too. Be _better_ Lavi- be human _and _be a Bookman. Record _and _care. Either do that, or stop caring altogether because this caring one moment and being completely distant the next? It's not fair." His tone softened slightly and he rested a hand on Lavi's shoulder

"Look, whatever you decide, I will always care about you and I will still consider you a friend but I need to know what you decide. My whole world is turning upside down around me, the ground is shifting beneath my very feet and I need to know what I can hold on to. Because if I decide to hold on to you, and you turn around and leave me? I won't make it and the Noah will win. So decide and get back to me when you have made up your mind, okay?"

He turned before Lavi could respond and walked into the ark, trying not to catch his reflection in the glassy window pane as he passed but the solid black shadow of Neah drew his eye in and the grin mocked him even as he turned away.


End file.
